SUNY Fredonia establishes scholarship, plans remembrance, for student Thomas Dean

SUNY Fredonia will hold a gathering to remember the life of Thomas Dean, a 21-year-old English major who passed away suddenly on Saturday, Nov. 2.  The event, to be sponsored by the English Department, will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. in the Williams Center’s Horizon Room.  Students and other campus community members are invited to come to the event, which will feature a variety of readings, poems and other works to remember Thom.

Also, family members have planned a celebration of his life at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4487 Lake Ave., in Lockport, N.Y., this Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m.  The university will lower its flags to half-staff that day as well.  Campus and community members are welcome to attend, and the Office of Residence Life is offering students free bus transportation to and from the Lockport event. To reserve a seat, please contact the Office of Residence Life at 716-673-3341.  The bus will leave at 3 p.m. from outside of the Williams Center, with an anticipated return time of approximately 9 p.m.

In addition, the Thomas Dean Memorial Fund has been set up through the Fredonia College Foundation to honor his memory.  His family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations would be gratefully accepted to this fund, which will support future generations of students within the English Department.  Those wishing to contribute can contact the foundation at 716-673-3321 or contribute online at http://go.fredonia.edu/ThomasDeanMemorial.

The campus’ Counseling Center in LoGrasso Hall continues to be available to speak with any students and other campus community members struggling to deal with this loss.