More than 300 mourners gather outside of the William Oxley Thompson statue to celebrate the life of Chase Meola. Meola was killed Oct. 11 after an altercation near an off-campus party. Credit: Owen Milnes | Campus Producer
Don’t follow your dreams…CHASE them!
We would like to sincerely thank all the people impacted by the loss of Chase who came together to share resources, time, food, money, gifts and memories to help our family get through this difficult time. The outpour of love we have received and the generosity of the community has been overwhelming and inspiring. We would like to thank the Hawthorne, Fort Lee, Paterson, North Haledon, Passaic County Sheriff’s, Port Authority, Ramsey and Mahwah Police Departments for giving Chase a hero’s welcome home; his Mahwah Thunderbird football and lacrosse teammates for their tributes to Chase; his Ohio State family and the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity for embracing him and helping him become the man he wanted to be; and those who came to pay their respects and say goodbye to Chase. Seeing and hearing all the ways Chase touched the lives of so many others made us proud that he is ours. Thank you all for your support, for being a source of strength for our family and for going above and beyond to allow us to celebrate Chase’s life and ensure his legacy is never forgotten. Remember to always be a good friend, to CHASE greatness, and to be an original…Be ONE of a kind.
— The Meola Family
“One…
One tree can start a forest;
One smile can begin a friendship;
One hand can lift a soul; One word can frame the goal;
One candle can wipe out darkness;
One laugh can conquer gloom;
One hope can raise your spirits;
One touch can show you care;
One life can make the difference, be that one today.”
– Unknown
