Marist Mourns Loss of Rising Men’s Lacrosse Sophomore Edward Coombs

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Marist community is mourning the loss of Edward Coombs, a rising sophomore on the men’s lacrosse team. Coombs, 19, lost his life in a car accident Saturday morning in his hometown of Horsham Township, Pa.

Services for Coombs will be held on Wednesday on St. Catherine of Siena Church in Horsham, Pa. Viewing will be held at the church at 10 a.m., followed by mass at noon.

“The entire athletics department mourns the loss of Eddie,” Marist Director of Athletics Tim Murray said. “In just one year, he was able to touch many people and have an impact on so many in our Marist community. The thoughts and prayers of the entire department are with his family.”

On the field, Coombs made an impact as a freshman in the spring of 2011. As a midfielder, he appeared in 14 contests and made four starts. His 16 caused turnovers ranked second on the team. On March 22, Coombs scored his first career goal in Marist’s 12-7 victory at nationally-ranked Albany for the Red Foxes’ first win of the season.

“I can only begin to describe the sadness that has met our program when we learned of Eddie’s passing,” Head Coach Keegan Wilkinson said. “Eddie was an incredible young man who could not have been more well-respected and admired by his teammates and the staff.

“I will never forget going to watch Eddie’s high school playoff game his senior year and his coach’s son telling me in the stands that Eddie was `the heartbeat of their team.’ Eddie had the same effect on our program, and his heartbeat will live on forever through his teammates and all those involved in the Marist Lacrosse program. Our thoughts and prayers are with Eddie, his mother and father, his sister, and the rest of his family.”

Off the field, Coombs was remembered as a good friend by underclassmen and upperclassmen alike, and as someone who could be relied upon by everyone. He was viewed as a leader among this past year’s freshman class, and as someone who was generous and grateful for the experiences he had.

Rising senior Zach Badalucco recalled Coombs as someone his teammates gravitated toward. The upperclassmen on the team enjoyed his company, and would listen to him tell stories.

“He was someone we all depended on, on and off the field,” Badalucco said. “He was my friend, and I depended on him to make me smile.”

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