For Cory, With Love: Layaway Angels Honor Son At Christmas

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — I met Cory Hubbard for the first time when he and his brother Kyle were Cub Scouts with my son Billy, and his father, Ralph, was a leader. Over the years as the boys grew, Kyle and Billy were in the same church youth group, building houses for the poor during summers together on mission trips. Our family photo albums are peppered with images from those trips — of Cory's bright, ready smile and fun-filled moments with friends. His infectious laugh is easy to summon from memories, even now.

January will mark six years since Ralph and Holly Hubbard faced a parent's worst nightmare: On Jan. 17, 2014, Cory, just 22 and a student at the University of Maryland, lost his life after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

According to the Prince George's County Police Department, Cory was killed while trying to cross Baltimore Avenue at Knox Road in College Park. The man who struck him, 30-year-old Liam Adepo, later turned himself in and was sentenced to two years in prison in 2015.

The news shocked all of us who loved Cory. Standing in the cold on the night of his wake, the line of those waiting to say goodbye stretched on for blocks as his friends — kids who'd been in my Sunday school class for years — stood with tear-streaked faces in the frigid night air, speaking in half whispers, trying to grasp the unthinkable, too young to have to face such loss. Those same friends stood in the snow outside Westhampton Beach High School to form his No. 12 on the football field.

Cory, who was a shimmer of light and life, always the adventurer, always ready to surf and travel and embrace sports, left a rich legacy. He may have only lived 22 years, but in those years, he truly lived, built a life that others still strive to emulate.

Ralph and Holly Hubbard have kept his spirit alive and thriving with the Live Your Cor Foundation, created in memory of Cory. "The goal of the foundation is to 'pay it forward' by providing financial assistance to local families who have suffered adversity or a personal hardship," the foundation's website explains. "Through your generosity, we have been able to help families facing personal loss, disease, accidents and other challenges," the Hubbards have said.

Despite their grief, Cory's parents have never wavered in their resolve help others in his name. Just this past weekend, when they read a Patch story about a young mom whose toddler's Christmas was saved by a layaway angel at Walmart, they were inspired to do the same — to pay tribute to their own precious son's memory.

"The last day we spent with Cory was Christmas. He absolutely loved the holidays"

They paid for eight families' layaway bills through Live Your Cor; they donated funds and gift cards, adopting families in Hampton Bays and Westhampton — local families facing challenges — all in Cory's name.

"For families suffering a horrible loss, the holidays are very difficult. Lightening the burden of other families brings us joy," Ralph said. "The foundation is thriving because of so much generosity shown by the people in our community. The last day we spent with Cory was Christmas; he absolutely loved the holidays."

Cory's spirit lives on, his parents said.

"We have been touched by the love and support we have received from the community honoring Cory's life," the Hubbards said. "One of his college friends said he was glad to know Cory before he became bigger than life."

Cory's team number 12 "has become synonymous with strong character and compassion for teammates," his parents said, with youth lacrosse teams in Westhampton sporting that number on all of their jerseys.

In the years since his death, Cory has been honored at wrestling tournaments and with scholarships, with many taking a collective vow to keep alive his passion for life and penchant for travel and adventure.

Friends who visit far-flung locations display "Live Your Cor" stickers in memory of Cory from high atop mountains and exotic locales, sharing those photos on social media.

After Cory's death, Ralph said of his son: "He was put here to make people's lives better, to give love and take love. That was his role, God's mission for him. And we're so lucky to have had him."

Their son, the Hubbards told Patch, loved to travel and enjoyed family trips to national parks across the country, including Zion and Bryce National Parks, the Rocky Mountains and the Bandelier Monument in New Mexico, exploring the mesas where pueblo cliff dwellers once lived.

As a college student, Cory traveled to Alaska, also spending a semester in Australia and traveling to New Zealand, his father said.

"He said it was the trip of a lifetime," Ralph remembered. "He was his inquisitive self. He always loved to travel."

"His college roommates were interviewed and said he was a peacekeeper," Holly said. "He was the one always keeping everyone in check, as a lacrosse goalie, the one that gave everyone support on the field."

Through sports, including lacrosse, football and wrestling, and through Reach, a program to help the needy refurbish and build homes across the country that he pursued with the Westhampton Presbyterian Church, the young man "was quick to make friends," Ralph said. "One girl told us that even though she'd only met him once, she'd never forget him."

Cory left his mark at Westhampton Beach High School: The fitness room has a wall dedicated to Cory. "It will hopefully inspire young athletes to strive for leadership, character and maintain a team-first attitude," Ralph said.

The years since they lost their son have not been easy for the Hubbards; the holidays are quiet without his laughter.

"Since Cory was hit and killed by a drunk driver, we have met many parents who have lost children through our involvement with The Compassionate Friends," Ralph said. "We have come to realize that the loss of a child is unlike other losses. We know people who are grieving the loss of their child for over 20 years. When you lose a child or sibling or even a grandchild, you lose a future, and the milestones of their friends and contemporaries are constant reminders of the loss."

He added: "There is a saying in the Compassionate Friends that says, 'If you say my child's name it may bring a tear to my eye, but if you don't mention them it breaks my heart.' That sums up what we feel about the scholarships and dedications created in Cory's memory. We will never get over our loss, but we are blessed that our friends and family are comfortable remembering him and bringing him up often."

This year, as we do every year, my son and I will talk about Cory, with tears but also with laughter, as the stories are told.

Thinking of the children and families who will open gifts this year around brightly lit Christmas trees, thanks to the Hubbards, it's easy to picture that big, happy grin of Cory's, and smile, too.

It's the kind of thing he would have loved.