By Dustin Brown
Whether he was relentlessly perfecting his performance on the basketball court or acing his exams with minimal effort, Nigel Polite stood out among his friends as the guy everyone expected to move beyond the Astoria Houses and turn himself into a success.
But when the promising athlete was found dead of unknown causes last week in the apartment he shared with his mother, family members and friends were left wondering how they could lose such a vibrant life at such a young age.
“You hear about all these kids doing the wrong things in this world and he’s done everything right – doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, never thought about doing drugs,” said Artie Cox, a basketball coach at Christ the King High School who had remained close to Polite since meeting him when he was a sixth grader. “There really doesn’t seem to be any justice in this whole situation. No justice at all.”
His mother, Ana Polite, discovered his body in their apartment at the Astoria Houses when she returned home shortly after 7 p.m. on Nov. 21.
Nigel was a 16-year-old junior at Archbishop Molloy High School who boasted a 95 academic average, aspired to graduate from Princeton University and hoped to pursue a career in basketball or finance.
The cause of his death was listed by the medical examiner’s office as “pending further study,” meaning more tests must be conducted before a definitive answer can be given.
For friends and family, however, the agony of not knowing the reason for his death simply compounded the pain of his loss.
“There’s no closure not knowing,” his mother said.
“It’s just crazy,” said Cox. “It’s even worse that they can’t figure out what happened to him.”
But his parents found comfort in numbers Monday night when a seemingly endless line of family and friends poured into the Morisco Funeral Home on Astoria Boulevard to say goodbye at Nigel’s wake.
“After seeing the turnout – all of the people that loved my son – I feel I’m floating on air,” said his father, Richard Polite.
Old teammates came out to pay their respects off the court, along with friends from the Astoria Houses and classmates from Molloy.
Friends told of a caring teenager who could improve anyone’s day with a flash of his smile and a burst of his legendary sense of humor.
“If something bad happened to you that day, if Nigel walked past you, you felt better,” said CaShenia Webb, 16, a friend from the Astoria Houses.
No one doubted his ability to succeed, because Nigel’s determination to perform at his highest potential always drove him to greatness.
“Only he could stop himself,” said Timmy White, a teammate from Molloy who graduated two years ahead of Polite. “He had it all going for him.”
Aisha Holmes, 16, a neighborhood friend, said Nigel was “someone you knew who would make it.”
As an awkward sixth grader for whom basketball was a new skill, Polite struggled to learn the game when he played at the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Astoria.
“When he first came to the gym, he could hardly play,” Cox said. “He couldn’t dribble, he couldn’t shoot. “
But his early basketball follies only compelled him to practice harder and play tougher, until he reached prominence at Molloy as the power forward on the starting lineup of the school’s junior varsity team, which won the city championship last year.
“He was dedicated,” said Jason Monge, 17, a childhood friend from Astoria who said Nigel spent “all his time on the court. In the summertime he didn’t know nothing but basketball.”
His academic success came with less effort. Although his parents said his study habits left something to be desired – Nigel would typically start a project he was given two months to complete a night or two before it was due – he always received top grades.
“Fathers always want their children to follow in their footsteps,” Richard Polite said. “For me it was the other way. I wanted to follow in my son’s footsteps.”
In addition to his parents, Nigel leaves behind one sister and two brothers, Patrice, Nicholas and Justin, grandparents, and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Reach reporter Dustin Brown by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 154.
