A vigil becomes a memorial
Friends and family share stories, tears as a Duxbury crash victim succumbs to his injuries
DUXBURY - It was planned as a vigil to pray for the recovery of three teenagers injured in a car crash Friday as they drove to school.
By last evening, it had become a memorial service.
Hundreds of teenagers, parents, religious leaders, and residents gathered at the Millennium Town Green, about 5 miles from the crash site, to remember Steven Laramee, an 18-year-old Duxbury High School senior who died Saturday evening at Boston Medical Center. His brother, Eoin, 16, who was also in the car, was sent to BMC and is expected to recover, relatives said. Their friend, Spencer Meine, another senior hurt in the crash, was in fair condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, officials said.
Laramee, who was driving, crashed into a tree about 7 a.m. Friday after losing control of his 1986 Audi station wagon on Union Bridge Road. Police were investigating whether speed was a factor.
During yesterday's service, a lone violinist, Brie Purcell, a senior at the high school, played "Ave Maria." Three women led the crowd in the hymn "Alleluia" as some mourners grasped candles and wept.
Laramee's grandmother, uncle, cousins, and aunts stood among his friends in the park, listening to those who stepped to a microphone describe Laramee as a funny, impish teenager who loved computers and strode through the halls of Duxbury High with a confident gait.
"Everyone had a smile on their face when they were with him," Phil Della Noce, 15, told the mourners. "I miss him already."
He paused and sighed heavily. "I love Steve, man," he said.
The Rev. Catherine Cullen, pastor of First Parish Church in Duxbury, began organizing the vigil Saturday night. Town officials quickly gave her permission to use the green. Firefighters loaned her a generator to power the sound equipment. Other religious leaders, including the pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church, where Laramee's family worships, agreed to speak.
By 4 p.m., Cullen expected to see 40 to 50 people congregate at the park. She was astonished when she saw throngs of teenagers arrive.
"When I saw all the kids coming, I couldn't speak," she said after the vigil. "It really was amazing."
Teenagers approached the microphone to speak, some in groups of three, with their arms linked, others alone. They remembered Laramee's proud distaste for Harry Potter, the way he flirted with girls, and his strange practical jokes, including asking a co-worker at Far Far's ice cream shop to make a coffee frappe because he knew the faulty machine would spray ice cream all over her.
They also remembered his compassion.
Katie Auer, a senior, recalled how during their freshman year, many girls received carnations from admirers on Valentine's Day, but one received none and became upset.
"The next day, Steve brought her a rose," Auer said, crying. "It was the nicest thing I've ever seen."
The stories moved Laramee's relatives, who held one another during the service, sobbing at times.
"I knew he was loved by this community," his uncle, Mark Laramee told the crowd. "You guys have shown me that Duxbury is one of the greatest communities to be involved in. We will always cherish this day."
Mark Laramee's son, also named Mark, said he understood why people were so affected by his cousin's death.
"People just really take this to heart," he said. "This can happen to any household. We all think we have control, but control is an illusion."
After the service, Laramee's grandmother, Sheila Moneghan, stood hugging her grandson's friends. She recalled the last time she saw her grandson. She had made him a tuna fish sandwich, surrounded by Ritz crackers, and he was elated.
" 'Nans, this is the best,' " he had told her, beaming.
Moneghan, 66, said she was happy to hear stories about her grandson, but was not surprised so many showed up to express their affection for him.
"He was always loved," she said. "Nobody, I don't think, that ever met him didn't like him. Might have been a bit mischievous, but I never had to yell at him. He was always an angel. He was an angel to me."
Globe Correspondent Courtney Brooks contributed to this report. Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com. 