By noontime June 22, Mother Teresa Regional School, Atlantic Highlands, was buzzing about with a bunch of happy kids and probably even more so, happy teachers and staff. It was the last day of school and now it was time for summer vacation.

In the midst of overseeing the flurry of activity with children saying their goodbyes, boarding school buses and heading for their car rides home, Melissa Wisk, principal, was pleasantly and unexpectedly greeted by one school parent who stopped by to pay a special visit.

The parent was George VanBuskirk, the father of Romeo VanBuskirk, an eighth grader who died June 12 in Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune. Romeo sustained brain trauma when he was struck by a vehicle while waiting for the school bus the morning of June 11.

The day of the accident occurred on the same day Romeo was to graduate from Mother Teresa Regional School.

Though the VanBuskirk family had buried Romeo just four days earlier, Wisk said that Mr. VanBuskirk came to Mother Teresa on the last day of school with gifts that Romeo had picked out for his eighth grade teacher and for her.

Romeo was a “great student, was well-liked by everyone and had a great sense of humor that we will always cherish,” Wisk fondly recalled.

While Romeo’s death “saddened our community, it also brought us together in our faith and helped us to embrace one another and the VanBuskirk family,” she said.

An obviously grateful and humbled Mr. VanBuskirk willingly offered comment to The Monitor on the support he and his grieving family received from St. Agnes Parish and Mother Teresa Regional School.

“They rallied around us,” he said. “Oh my God, did they ever. They were tremendous from the second it happened. I wish I could see my son’s reaction to that outpouring of love and generosity. It was mind-blowing. It really was. They are beautiful, just an incredible community.”

Mr. VanBuskirk paid a loving tribute to his son by expressing his sentiments in the obituary he wrote for the local newspaper. Excerpts of the obituary read: “Romeo was a gifted writer, musician, videographer, film buff, baseball player, X-Box player and aficionado of Chuck Norris jokes. He lived in the wonderful community of Port Monmouth where his neighbors were so kind and generous to him.

“He loved his entire family and brought every single one of them joy with his constant affection, smiles and laughter. To his parents and his sister, Olivia, he was an anchor for the family. He was loved by many and we were all incredibly fortunate to have him in our lives. There are no words to describe how beautiful and unique he was. He will be missed every day.”

Noting how the 13-year-old’s tragic death and its impact had extended well beyond his family and school community, Wisk told of how moving it was to witness the throngs of people who came to honor Romeo’s memory at the viewing which was held June 17 in the school. People waited in the lines that spanned more than two hours long in the afternoon and more than three hours later that evening, and they were all there to offer words of solace to Romeo’s family – his parents, George and Amy; his sister, Olivia, who just completed the third grade at Mother Teresa; his paternal grandparents, George and Esther VanBuskirk; his maternal grandparents, Hank and Katherine Soule; great grandmother, Ann Garbelotto, and numerous aunts and uncles.

The following day, the throng returned for Romeo’s Mass of Christian Burial, which was celebrated in St. Agnes Church, Atlantic Highlands. Father Robert Tynski, former pastor of St. Agnes Parish and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Highlands, was principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass, and a number of area priests concelebrated, including Father Michael Figler, current pastor of St.

Agnes and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parishes. Deacon Greg Caruso, who is from the Diocese of Metuchen and is Mr. VanBuskirk’s brother-inlaw, assisted at the Mass.

Though they were devastated, Wisk spoke with pride as she told of how the school community and especially the eighth grade class, had responded to the loss of their fellow classmate.

“They were such an example of faith and love,” she said, then cited that the class had come up with several ideas – on their own – on how they wished to remember Romeo. The students bought bracelets with his name printed on them; they want a place in the school backyard to plant a tree and install a bench in Romeo’s name; at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Middletown, where Romeo was laid to rest, the classmates put their tassels from graduation on top of the casket, and at the repast, they shared stories and memories with Romeo’s family.

“They were just a great example of faith to the rest of us and, as children they were a great example of who they have become as graduates,” Wisk shared.