Bayside college sophomore Anthony Chiarenza died Oct. 3 after falling off a cliff on his school campus in Pennsylvania.
The Swarthmore College student, 19, was alone when he fell 40 to 50 feet on the steep incline and was later found by residents of the area, according to published reports.
His older brother, Dominick Chiarenza, addressed the tragic accident in a message written on the late young man’s Facebook page. He was the only other child of parents Angela and Anthony Chiarenza.
“Our family is completely destroyed right now, broken into a million pieces like fine china smashed on the cold pavement and there is no way to put back the pieces…From when I held him on the day he was born to the last time I ever spoke to him, he always made me feel blessed,” Chiarenza wrote.
The wake is being held at Lloyd Funeral Home in Bayside on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. The funeral will take place on Thursday at Bayside’s Sacred Heart Church at 10 a.m.
Swarthmore President Valerie Smith issued a statement on Monday saying the loss of the student was immeasurable to the university.
“Anthony was a humble, deeply cherished member of this community who brought light and warmth to everyone he knew…His spirit will continue to inspire us all,” Smith said.
According to Smith, Chiarenza was a 2014 graduate of Townsend Harris High School in Flushing, where he wrote for the student-produced magazine The Phoenix.
Phoenix faculty adviser Rafal Olechowski said that Chiarenza’s kindness, generosity and sense of humor will always be remembered.
“While his life ended too swiftly, it graced his friends and classmates with a beautiful light and words that will remain with us forever,” Olechowski said.
