BY GINNY PRIVITAR
WEST MILFORD — All lives are precious. But we mourn more when the life that’s lost is young and full of promise; when that life has touched so many others in a positive way.
Christopher J. Boes’ life was such a life, and his death last week brought an extraordinary outpouring of grief and support from the communities of which he was a part, support especially for his parents, Bill and Sandi Boes, and his brother, Brett.
The accident
On July 29, Boes was a passenger in a car driven by a college friend, Timothy Runo of Vernon. A friend from West Milford High School and fellow football teammate, Shane Lapore, was also a passenger in the car.Reports indicate that the car driven by Runo and another car were in a high-speed race on Route 23 in Butler when the crash occurred. The other car fled the scene. Boes and his friends were ejected from their vehicle and were found lying in the roadway by first responders. Boes was the most seriously injured and was airlifted to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. Boes underwent several surgeries and remained in a coma until he died from his injuries on Aug. 9. He was 20.
Butler police initially said they were following up on some leads in the search for the other vehicle involved in the race. They referred questions to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. Paul Merkler, a public information officer with the prosecutor's offic,e told the Messenger there is nothing new to report at press time.
'Your spirit will lead us'
Boes did well academically at West Milford High School and was a star athlete in football, where he played both offense and defense, and in baseball. During his sophomore year, his baseball team won a state sectional championship. He graduated in 2014 and was attending Lycoming College in Pennsylvania where he played football his freshman year and was pursuing a degree in criminal justice.Boes was remembered on the West Milford High School football Facebook site with photos of him wearing his No. 54 uniform surrounded by his teammates. The post said, in part, “Your spirit will lead us on and off the field! You will be remembered as a player who played with tremendous heart and soul!”
More tributes have followed.
'A great member of the community'
Don Dougherty was Boes' football coach at West Milford High School.“Chris is one of those kids who coaches only get a handful of (in their career),” said Dougherty. “They have everything; besides athletic skills, they have great character, do a great job in the classroom — do great academically as a student — and they’re a great member of the community.”
Dougherty said Boes gave back to the community as well, participating in the “Punt, Pass and Read" program. He also helped coach the youth football teams and came back after graduation to share his knowledge and lend a hand.
“That’s just the type of kid he was. It’s amazing that in a school this big everybody knew who he was, and it wasn’t just because he was an athlete, but because of the type of kids he was,” said Dougherty. “He was the type of kid who’d say hello to you, whether he knew you or not.”
Dougherty said the respect shown to his family was an indication of the person Boes was.
“When you see that many people show up at his service to give respect, they did it because they wanted to show respect to the kid he was and his family,” Dougherty said. “It’s sad, everyone is just trying to help the Boes family heal.”
Ryan Love was a close friend of Boes.
“Chris has been my best friend for about 10 years now,” said Love. “Chris has always been there for me. He was the type of kid, if you were down, his laugh or smile would pick you right back up and put a smile on your face. Anything I ever needed from him, he would be there in a heartbeat.”
Focus in college
Mike Clark, director of Athletics and head football coach at Lycoming College, told The Messenger Boes was the kind of kid you wanted on your team.“Chris was an outstanding young man who we loved having in our football program. After last season, he made the decision to stop playing to focus on a career in law enforcement,” said Clark. “We were genuinely disappointed when he made the decision to not play. Quite simply, he was the kind of young man that you want to have on your team.”
Joe Bernardini, Boes’ roommate at Lycoming, said Boes was one of his best friends on campus.
“He was just a great guy; he always had a smile on his face and always cheered people up when they had a bad day,” said Bernardini. “He was just a great friend.”
A leader
“Chris was an important part of our West Milford baseball program on the field and as important off the field,” said West Milford's head baseball coach Joe Jordon.Boes was team captain and named the team’s most valuable player in 2014, his senior year. He was named to the First Team All Passaic County, First Team All Big North Conference and was the Suburban Trends Male Athlete of the Year, Jordon said.
“Chris, more importantly, was a great leader and outstanding mentor and role model (for) our younger players,” Jordon said, noting that this past spring Boes came in to throw batting practice with the team at 7:30 a.m. “Chris was everything a coach would want in a student-athlete and person and continued to help our program well past his graduation.
“I'm personally thankful to have been able to coach a young man as special as Chris over his four years at West Milford,” said Jordon. “I'm equally as grateful to his parents Bill and Sandi for raising such a terrific son. We will never forget Chris and will always keep him and his family close to our heart."
Go to westmilfordmessenger.com and share your thoughts on the life of Chris Boes.