More than 100 family and friends of lacrosse player Edward Blatz Jr. (MSB ’17), who died April 24, gathered to celebrate Blatz’s legacy of compassion and sportsmanship in Dahlgren Chapel on May 4.
Originally from Garden City, N.Y., Blatz is survived by his parents and two sisters. The cause of death has not been announced as of 11 a.m. Friday.
Fr. Greg Schenden, S.J., delivered the opening prayer before Athletics Director Lee Reed and McDonough School of Business Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Program Norean Sharpe read 2 Timothy 4:1-2, 6-8 and Psalm 139:1-8.
In his reflection at the service, Vice President for Mission and Ministry Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., encouraged the community to remember Blatz’s accomplishments both on and off the field.
“In times like this, it is so easy to reduce a wonderfully complicated life to one set of achievements or one dimension of personality or one time or one moment,” O’Brien said. “Surely, Eddie was a great lacrosse player, but he was also a great friend and son and student, and I want you to know that he knew more than one playing field.”
O’Brien quoted English professor John Hirsh, who said Blatz was an understanding and admired tutor at Sursum Corda – a literacy program for underprivileged children in the low-income neighborhood.
“Eddie was a sensitive, perceptive and thoughtful young man who worked well and with evident pleasure with the children of Sursum Corda and was as loved by them as he was esteemed by his fellow tutors,” O’Brien said.
The MSB also hosted a reception in Dahlgren Quad following the service for attendees to share stories about Blatz and celebrate his memory.
Nick Marrocco (COL ’18), a goalie on the lacrosse team, wrote in a statement to The Hoya that Blatz was a motivating and supportive teammate.
“Every day before practice, I would walk into the training room and wait for his daily question for me: ‘Rocco, so are you going to make a save today?’ Then during practice, after getting hit in the legs about ten times, he’d say, ‘You know you can save the ball with your stick, not just your body,’” knowing very well this would frustrate me and make me want to play better,” Marrocco wrote.
Elizabeth Malhame (COL ’16), who grew up with Blatz, said she remembered going to New York Islanders games with him. In an interview with The Hoya, Malhame said Blatz had a selfless spirit.
“We were in the stands and they were shooting out the T-shirts, and I was probably 10 at this point, and I was too timid and scared to stand up and grab a T-shirt. So he grabbed a T-shirt and immediately just gave it to me so that I got the first T-shirt, which was so nice,” Malhame said. “Eddie was always the most giving person ever, and he was fearless too.”
