Stephen Bogusky III
The following message was released from Friends School in Baltimore regarding the death of Stephen Robert Bogusky III, who died early Sunday morning when the car he was driving went off the road and struck a tree, just blocks from his Hampton home.
There is no more sorrowful responsibility for me than to share news of the loss of a young person in our community. With great heaviness of heart, I must let you know that Stephen Bogusky, who graduated this spring with the Class of 2018, was killed in a car accident Saturday night. Stephen was a wonderful young man whom we were lucky enough to have as part of our community since 2006. In addition to being a standout soccer and lacrosse player, whose speed and quickness made him a constant scoring threat, he was a very capable student – he was set to attend Sewanee University this fall – and a thoughtful and supportive community member. With his quiet humor, his subtle smile, and his understated demeanor, he earned the respect and friendship of his classmates and teammates, who, I know, will carry him in their hearts forever.
The Bogusky family has broad and deep connections across our community. Stephen’s brothers, Carter (a rising sophomore) and James (a rising 8th grader), were students at Friends through the 2016-17 school year. In addition, his parents, Kathleen and Stephen, have long been active members of the Parents’ Association, always willing to offer a hand when needed around campus. Kathleen has also served as a substitute teacher at various grade levels through the years.
I have two particular memories of Stephen that will remain with me forever. The first of these is a very public one that was shared by many of us in the Friends community. Stephen, who was a force on the soccer field throughout his time at Friends, was a key contributor to this past fall’s boys’ varsity soccer team, setting up one of the goals in the MIAA Conference championship game, where the team won its first title since 1999 (the year he, and many of his fellow seniors on the team, were born). I will always picture Stephen streaking down the sidelines with his lanky frame and unorthodox gait, and finding just the right seam through the defense, to receive a well-placed pass from a teammate and take a shot at the goal.
In a smaller setting, I had the chance during his senior year to host Stephen and several of his classmates for a pizza dinner at our home. As was his habit, Stephen was a quiet and attentive listener for most of the conversation. At one point, though, he spoke up to voice his appreciation for the environment at Friends and for all that he had taken away from it over the past 12 years. He mentioned in particular the diversity of interests and talents to be found among his classmates and the ways in which he had grown from being surrounded by such a wide variety of people. His words were memorable and moving and revealed some of the depth of thought and character behind his outwardly quiet bearing. In Stephen’s case, still waters most certainly ran deep.
Details of a memorial service for Stephen have not yet been finalized. Please be assured that we will share that information with you when we become aware of it. In the meanwhile, we will be opening the Meetinghouse this afternoon at 4:30 as a gathering place for those who wish to remember Stephen, to hold his family in the Light, and to support one another in coming to grips with this painful news.
Just as the Boguskys have always been eager to offer support and assistance to others in our community, I know that we will join together now in seeking to lift them up in the face of this tragedy.
Sincerely,
Matt Micciche
Head of School