On Friday, April 12, the Deerfield community mourned the death of an alumnus, Brian Weber ’18. Weber was a freshman majoring in biology on a pre-med track at the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences. Here, members of the Deerfield community reflect on their time spent with him.
Everett Tsai ‘18
“Over the years, I was able to see Brian develop into the incredibly loving, smart, and generous young man we all remember him to be. Brian was someone whose eyes lit up at the sound of adventure. He had a boyish smile and a witty sense of humor that gave him the ability to brighten up the mood of whatever room he walked into. Brian was incredibly empathetic, a good listener, and was always readily available when his friends needed him … Brian was a gentle soul. He was respected and admired by his peers. He was sincere, compassionate, and full of love. For the happiest moments in my life, Brian was present for almost all of them.”
Ollie Hollo ‘18
“Brian was an awesome person to have in the Barton dorm my senior year. His humor, energetic personality, and positive outlook helped create awesome memories of shenanigans in the dorm on Ferraro’s hall… Brian was a great athlete, a great intellect, and a great person – he will be dearly missed.”
Everett Tsai ‘18
“God works in mysterious ways, and I don’t know why He took Brian away from us so suddenly… May he live forever in our hearts and rest in peace.”
Matthew Wuyan ‘18
“This past year at college, Brian and I roomed together at BU… On the days where I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, he was there to drag me out and bring me up. While he often complained to me about how difficult his premedical studies were, those complaints were often overshadowed by his hopes of doing good for his community and the world… His devotion and loyalty to his country, community, and friends were just two of his many admirable traits.”
Andrew Peck ‘18
“Brian was one of the few kids in our class who was capable of always brightening your day. I was lucky to spend a lot of time with Brian over our three years together at DA and can say for certain that my life was made better because of the interactions I had with him.”
Everett Tsai ‘18
“Brian, thank you for being there with me for over 13 years, from Japan, to Singapore, and all the way to Deerfield. You were my oldest friend, my confidant, my brother. You mean so much to me and to so many others. I love you, and I hope you rest peacefully.”
Dennis Cullinane, Science Teacher and Track & Field coach
“He just had this aura around him; people wanted to be near him.
People felt better about themselves when they were near him, and he was just this really sweet kid who lifted people up.”
Young Gun Lee ‘19
Credit: Deerfield Academy Flickr
“1:00 AM, a Monday night. A red bar reading “Defeat” shows up on my screen. Then, I would ask, “another game?”, to which you would respond, “Of course bro. Until we get a win.” I wish I could see your name read ‘online’ on my computer. I wish I could go down to the river with you, playing your chill tunes playlist and play spike ball. I wish I could go to your room, order pizza, and just hang out and talk for hours.”
Michael Schloat, English Teacher and Track & Field coach
“Not to be fatalistic or anything like that, but let people know that you love them when you have the time. I just want to see and talk to Brian one more time, and knowing that will never happen saddens me.”
Young Gun Lee ‘19
“As the length of his hairstyle grew throughout his years at Deerfield, so did Brian Weber… There are two types of people in the world: a people person and the people’s person. Brian was the latter. He was a giver, not a taker. Whenever he knew you needed something, you didn’t even have to ask Brian – he would nonchalantly give it to you like it was nothing.
Thank you Brian, for all the good times; for making me a better person; for showing me we should not expect something in return when we act on kindness; for defining what a great friend is. Love you family, always.”
Joni Otto-Bernstein ‘18
“Brian, thank you for teaching me, whether it was girl advice or precalc. Thank you for growing up with me, laughing with me, making me a better person. For making us all better people.
You influenced so many of us immeasurably; it’s hard to say goodbye. You were a brother to me, and I’ll never forget that. Brian was loved, and he’ll be greatly missed. Love you, Brian. Rest Peacefully.”