Heartbroken Community Mourns LI Teen: 'Remember Our Hero Dylan'

NORTH FORK, NY — The night began with a brilliant rainbow. As a broken-hearted community headed to a candlelight vigil Sunday night to remember Dylan Newman, 18, who died Tuesday after a brave four-year battle with cancer, a light rain, so much like tears, dissipated and the sky was bathed in beautiful color.

Wearing green and holding green lights — in honor of Dylan's favorite color — as well as his team number, 5, a crowd gathered at Cochran Park in Peconic. In a perfect nod to his passion for baseball, the vigil was held on the field, each base decorated with green lights and balloons and the #5 marking third base, the position Dylan played on his Southold High School team.

The vigil began with words by Martha Hansen, stating that the idea had been a team effort. "Just like everything that has gone on for this child — 'Team Dylan'. That's what we're all about. The definition of the word 'hero' — a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. To me, that word exemplifies Dylan."

With services coming Monday and Tuesday, she said, "I want everybody to remember our hero Dylan. We can get through this. He's with us — and he's always going to be with us."

Another friend, Landon, then sang the National Anthem.

Rev. Dr. Peter Kelley of the First Presbyterian Church of Southold also spoke of the outpouring of love and caring from the community — with neighbors and friends rallying with fundraisers and parades and so much support — and of Dylan's "amazing strength and dauntlessness. Hold on to that — everything that you've done, everything that you've seen. It didn't die, either. Share it."

Rev. Kelley also urged the group to reach out to someone they loved and trusted, to talk, in the days ahead.

"May you find hope — and may hope find you. May you find love, and may love find you," he said.

Hansen added: "Somebody was saying, 'Live like Dylan,' and I think that's what we need to do, to take those special memories we have and try to live like he lived his amazing life. He never complained. He always had a smile on his face. All of us were blessed to have him in our lives."

Todd Newman, Dylan's father, also spoke, remembering April 26, 2018, the day his family learned that Dylan had a tumor on his hip. Hundreds turned out for the first fundraiser, a "Dash for Dylan," at Southold High School, soon after.

"I ended what I had to say that day with, 'We have an army behind us,'" he said. "And this army is still strong."

Newman thanked the community for the years of caring, and for surrounding his family with love this past week. Smiling, he said, "I had no idea how much of a goofball my son was until the other night, with all the girls and boys at the house telling stories." The crowd laughed through their tears.

He added: "We shared our son with all of you because he loved everybody. The next couple of days will be sad — they're going to be heartbreaking, especially for my wife, my daughter Kelsey, and me. I will mourn him for a little while — but I will celebrate being his father forever."

Tears flowing, the crowd then walked the bases, a "final lap," for Dylan. The Newmans gathered together on home plate, for their boy. They then went to stand by the fence, before Dylan's photo and balloons with the number 5, their arms wrapped tightly around one another — as the procession around the bases continued steadily, the green lights illuminating the night with love.

"Between rainbows and comets, you felt the love for a Southold graduate gone too soon," said Tonya Witczak, who brought her daughters to the vigil. "Live like Dylan."

Services have also been arranged: Visitation took place Monday, September 26 at the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. A service will take place Tuesday, September 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Southold, located at 53100 New York State Route 25. A burial will follow at Southold Presbyterian Cemetery.

The love in the community runs so deep that some area businesses have said they will close early Monday to allow staff time to grieve and attend services.

As the many who loved him mourn, tributes to Dylan are a testament to the deep bonds he shared with family, friends, teachers, classmates, teammates, and even people he'd never met.

His family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, support be pledged to a fund that will be established in memory of Dylan, which will provide scholarships to local high school seniors in Dylan's name. The fund will also support research on Ewing Sarcoma, the rare type of cancer that Dylan faced.
Those who wish to donate can send a statement of the desire to pledge, including the amount and contact information, to Dylan Newman Forever 5, at 485 Gardiners Lane, Southold, NY 11971, or email DylanNewmanForever5@gmail.com. After the fund is established, information will be shared on how to donate.