Alexander Grant remembered

Although few Skidmore students, faculty, and staff members knew Alexander Grant personally, many turned out to honor his life and mourn his passing Thursday at a silent vigil held outside the Case College Center. More than 100 attended the memorial led by the Rev. Richard Chrisman, director of religious and spiritual life.

The gathering was just one indication of how deeply the Skidmore community has been affected by the death of the 19-year-old  Boston College sophomore, who an autopsy has determined died early last Sunday morning from drowning with hypothermia following a party he attended while visiting friends at Skidmore. 

Still investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, police are awaiting the results of a toxicology report that will indicate the extent to which alcohol or drugs may have been a factor.

"The death of a student is a tragic event in the life of any college, and this is a grievous loss for two campus communities," said Acting President Susan Kress. "Our own community is still struggling with this very difficult news. While we must await the results of the investigation into whether alcohol or drugs played a role in this case, we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this issue on college campuses nationally and our responsibility to make absolutely clear to our students the very real dangers that abuse of these substances can present both to themselves and to others." 

A 2009 graduate of Briarcliff Manor High School, Grant was described by Principal James Kaishan as "wonderful student, a really nice kid who did well academically, was involved in school activities and had a great sense of humor."

At Briarcliff High, Grant was in the Science Research program and won the Mu Alpha Theta Award for a project in mathematics at the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair in his senior year.  At Boston College, he was in the honors program and was recently nominated into the Golden Key National Honors Society.

Grant's father, Kenneth, is Jewish, and his mother, Deanna, is Roman Catholic, so the family will have two funeral services for their son. A Jewish service will be held at 5 p.m. today (Friday) at the Beecher Funeral Home in Pleasantville, and a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Theresa's Roman Catholic Church in Briarcliff Manor. Burial will follow in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Those wishing to contribute to a foundation that the family is establishing in Grant's honor may do so by contacting Gina Gill at 646-840-4961 or gina.gill@riskresources.us.

"We have not determined how best to allocate any monies that we may receive in this regard, but pledge to you to do everything in our power to act in accordance to what we believe Alex's wishes would have been," the family said in a statement.