Recently deceased student Thomas McCord fondly remembered at ceremony
Apr 16, 2018Isidore’s Catholic Student Center in memory of Thomas McCord, a K-State sophomore who passed away on Sunday afternoon. McCord, an English major with a talent for poetry and a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity, was 20.“Thomas’ life was taken away all too soon,” said Nicky Grover, freshman in political sciences, a friend of McCord’s who spoke at the vigil. “He was a friend, a brother and a son who wouldn’t want to see us like this.”McCord was found in his room in Marlatt Hall on Sunday afternoon. According to Chris Wynne, a close friend of McCord’s and sophomore in psychology, the cause of death was related to diabetes, but he did not elaborate out of respect for the family’s privacy.McCord was described by friends who spoke at the memorial as a charismatic, friendly person with a knack for putting others at ease.“I had not just the privilege, but the honor of going to school with Thomas for 5 1/2 years,” Wynne said. Wynne, who planned the memorial service along with several other close friends of McCord, said McCord “literally could make anybody smile.”He also said that McCord had a way with words, both written and spoken. He described McCord’s poetry as incredible and said he had never met anyone who could write the way McCord could.“His poems were unbelievable,” Wynne said. “The way he could write, he could capture anything.”The Rev. Andrew Strobl, of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe, presided over the service. Strobl, who was McCord’s chaplain at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, delivered an emotional homily on McCord’s faith and the mercy of God.Wynne then invited the congregation to come forward to the altar, where a framed picture of McCord was displayed, and have a final conversation with him.“If there’s anything you need to say, come say it,” Wynne said. “Say what you would say if you could have one last conversation with Thomas.”At the conclusion of the ceremony, a slide show of pictures from McCord’s life was played, and friends and family gather... (K-State Collegian)
