Caravan mourns a brother

The wake for Kevin Czubak 17 will be held from 3:30 to 9:00 PM on Monday evening.

The wake for Kevin Czubak ’17 will be held from 3:30 to 9:00 PM on Monday evening.

The Mount Carmel family suffered a tragic loss on Thursday, October 8, with the sudden death of junior Kevin Czubak.  Upon arriving to school, the student body was immediately called to the Cacciatore Gym where the news was shared in the context of a brief prayer service at the beginning of the day.  Students and faculty then retired to Studium groups to allow time to remember Kevin and begin the grieving process as a community.

The original schedule for Thursday had included College Readiness Testing in the morning, followed by a noon dismissal in preparation for parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon.  In light of the community’s loss, both those activities were postponed.  Instead, notifications were sent to the entire school community so that parents and upperclassmen who were exempt from the day’s testing might be able to join the rest of the school in prayer.

A more formal prayer service, based on the Catholic Church’s “Office of the Dead,” began around 10:30 AM. The entire faculty and student body were joined by nearly 100 parents and alumni to pray for Kevin and the Czubak famly.

According to junior Conor Langs, who shared many classes with Czubak over the years, he was “a funny, energetic, and talented person.”

Another classmate, Jack Lockard, recalled numerous occasions when Kevin’s friendly nature would make others smile.   “Whether it was cracking a joke or asking a question like ‘How does air work?’ he always made us laugh.”

Roberto Del Real recalls how in Psychology class,  Kevin would explain how his dreams “were like an advertisement.”  The way Kevin described those dreams was “hilarious, and I remember he and I agreed that the dreams were hilarious. So he gave me an air high five from across the room. I’ll always remember that moment.”

Senior Matt McKay had the opportunity to know Kevin through football and rugby, the two varsity sports both played.  His most recent memory was of lining up against Kevin during practice.  “I outweigh Kevin by about 100 pounds or so, but Kevin fought more than anyone on the team. He would get right back up no matter what happened. He was all about team.”

Senior Ryan Noonan, who wasn’t close with Kevin but like so many others, knew him as a friendly guy, summarized the feelings so many expressed in the hallways and classrooms on Thursday and Friday.  “Kevin was a good kid who loved to smile and have a good time.  He will be dearly missed.”

A wake for Kevin Czubak will be held at Mount Carmel on Monday from 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM.  The funeral Mass will take place at St. John the Baptist Church, 1849 Lincoln Avenue, in Whiting, Indiana, at 10 AM Tuesday.  Out of respect for Kevin and his family, and to enable the school community to participate in the funeral liturgy, Mount Carmel has cancelled classes on Tuesday.