Jacob Fuhrer |
On Tuesday, the UP community mourned the death and celebrated the life of Michael Eberitzsch II, a junior finance major from Bend, Oregon, who was killed in a car crash March 6. Eberitzsch’s family was surrounded by students, faculty and staff during a memorial Mass in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher.
“This isn’t right, this isn’t fair, and this isn’t God’s will,” Fr. Mark DeMott said in his homily to the 125 people who gathered in the chapel.
According to Oregon State Police, Eberitzsch, 22, was killed when his 2014 Hyundai left its lane on Highway 26 near Sandy and collided head-on with a logging truck shortly before 3:30 a.m. A wheel from the logging truck came off, striking another semi-truck. The drivers of both trucks reported no injuries, police said.
“We will never know exactly what happened in the middle of the night on Highway 26,” DeMott said. “It may have been an accident. It may have been intended. It was most certainly a great loss and a moment of darkness.”
Holding up a photo of Eberitzsch smiling, Demott said, “Darkness doesn’t have the last word. Love, friendship, smiles and the mystery of the Cross … are stronger than death.”
DeMott, once a Hall Director in Shipstad where Eberitzsch also lived at the time, recalled Eberitzsch as a loyal and fun-loving free spirit who enjoyed having conversations about serious topics like love, school and addiction.
Haylie Gisi, a junior marketing major, sat with Eberitzsch’s family at the Mass. She first met Eberitzsch in 2013 during her sophomore year. After befriending each other, the two began to date.
According to Gisi, Eberitzsch had an analytical mind, which was part of the reason he was a math major for a short while.
“He was a very passionate person,” Gisi said. “Anything important to the people around him was important to him.”
Despite the heartbreaking news, Gisi appreciated the response from those around her.
“It was really nice to see people from the UP community,” she said, referring to the way members of Campus Ministry, Residence Life and the Health Center worked to provide support to those close to Eberitzsch.
Paul Myers, director of the Health Center, says anger, guilt and depression are just a few of the emotions grieving friends and family may feel. He says it’s normal for different people to react differently to death.
“It is common for people to not be in the same emotional space at the same time and this can sometimes cause conflict or make people uncomfortable,” Myers said in an email.
Grief counseling is also available during the week from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Health Center, and pastoral counseling is available through Campus Ministry and pastoral residents by email, phone or in person.
Myers suggests that students also consider discussing their grief with family and friends as a way to sort through their emotions.
Junior Tamim Almousa got to know Eberitzsch during his freshman year, and recalled a tall, outgoing guy.
The two would occasionally walk down near the Willamette River and make a fire.
Almousa recalled a time when Eberitzsch offered him a ride to the airport and the two made friendly conversation.
“(Eberitzsch was) one of the types of people who have just got mountains of small talk, so you never feel awkward,” Almousa said. “He was really friendly and he was up for anything.”
In a testament to Eberitzsch’s impact on those around him, Tuesday’s memorial service was one of three memorials in his honor. An informal service was held the day he died and a second service at Grace First Lutheran Church in Bend on March 15 for family and friends.
“Michael carried his burdens bravely. He carried them up until the day he died,” DeMott said at Tuesday’s Mass. “Those of us who knew him best observed that sometimes life itself proved to be a burden for Michael, that he even questioned whether life is worth living. But this walk was easier because Michael had us to walk with him.”
At the end of the Mass, University President Fr. Mark Poorman, who presided, announced the University would posthumously award Eberitzsch his bachelor’s degree in May 2016, and invited his family to attend the graduation ceremony.
