By Victoria Gladstone and Alessia Contuzzi
News Editors
BREAKING — On Saturday evening, sophomore Michael McGrath was found dead in his room in Decker Hall. According to an email sent out by President Kathryn Foster, “there are no “suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.”
Foster’s email informed the campus community about the death, as well as to share information about McGrath and mental health resources on campus. McGrath was an active member within the campus community who had a love for music and volunteer service.
“He was an aspiring history teacher and an honors student. A percussionist, he had performed in our concert band and was a member of Phi Mu Alpha, our music fraternity,” Foster said. “Last fall, he participated in a particularly meaningful community-engaged learning project in Rosedale Park. He was proud to have participated in an effort to reforest the area with native plants.”
Mark Forest, the assistant vice president for Student Affairs Health and Wellness and the Mental Health Services director, followed Foster by providing students with information on postvention services offered by the College’s Counseling and Prevention Services. These sessions are available throughout the week from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Eickhoff Hall suite 107.
Arrangements for McGrath will take place on Nov. 6 and 7, as shared in an email from David Muha, Associate Vice President for College Advancement and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at the College. Visitation will be held at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home in Wayne, N.J. on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 2 to 6 p.m. A funeral mass will be offered on Monday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Pompton Lakes, N.J., with a repast luncheon at the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne, N.J. to follow.
To sign the virtual guest book and read more about McGrath's life, please visit the Vander May website linked here.
