Community Mourns 2016 CB West Grad, Hockey Standout

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A "heartbroken and stunned" community is mourning a 21-year-old Doylestown native and former Central Bucks West hockey standout, who died late last month.

Ryan Trefz died June 22 in Philadelphia, police there confirmed. He was found deceased along the Market-Frankford Line. SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch had no further details regarding the death, and said no foul play was involved.

A fundraiser has been launched as a memorial fund for Trefz, a 2016 West graduate who was captain of the varsity hockey team his senior year. Trefz, a rising senior at Temple University, had also recently been named captain of the Temple University Hockey team.

The team, in a statement shared to its website, described Trefz as "a remarkable man" and said they are "stunned and heartbroken" over the loss.

The statement describes how teammate Charles Ghiazza, who was also Trefz's best friend, had to tell the team of his death hours before an event at The Rink at Old York Road.

"No words can truly describe how everyone feels. Obviously, some do serve its role: saddened, shocked, confused. The closest word to describe how we feel is heartbroken," the statement said.

In his obituary, Trefz is described as an ambitious and active young man, who participated in local sporting leagues and held a summer internship. He had already accepted an offer for employment during his senior year, the obituary said.

"As many have shared, he was a leader on and off the ice, but most importantly he was an incredible, son, brother, grandson, nephew, friend and teammate. He made a positive impact on everyone he encountered. His smile and enthusiasm for life were contagious," his obituary said.

Services were held on June 27.

The fundraiser, launched on GoFundMe by organizers Lisa Suter Goodson and Tricia Wallace Savona, seeks to raise $40,000 for the Ryan Trefz Memorial Fund. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $38,600 has been raised.

In response to the community support, Rich Trefz offered his sentiments on the fundraising page:

Within moments of receiving that 8 am call on Saturday, June 22nd with the devastating news that our Ryan was never coming home, family and friends were by our side. We learned quite quickly that love is so much stronger than grief! Please accept our heartfelt words of deepest appreciation for your generosity at this most difficult time. We are utterly overwhelmed by all your sympathy, kindness, and love. It truly lifts us up and helps us to face each day - one step at a time. We gain strength from reflecting on all you have done and continue to do to show your support. Moving forward, we plan on living life more like our Ryan - smiling more, thinking of others, and ultimately, being focused and passionate about all we do.

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