Friends and family of Adam Brown '97 gathered yesterday in Rollins Chapel to remember the 19-year-old Dartmouth sophomore who unexpectedly died earlier this term.
The memorial ceremony provided an opportunity for those who knew Brown to reflect on their memories of him and his time at the College. Rabbi Daniel Siegel began the memorial ceremony with a brief prayer and then invited Karim Hruska '97, Brown's friend of 7 years, to share his thoughts.
Hruska mixed emotional thoughts with warm memories and defined the tone of the reflective afternoon, in which Brown's kindness and special qualities were remembered by all the speakers that followed.
Hruska and Brown, because of the closeness of their friendship, were often referred to as one entity. Many speakers told of the absence they feel when they now see Hruska without Brown.
"In junior high school there was a time when we wore the exact same clothes everyday," Hruska said. "It got to the point were we would call each other the night before and plan what clothing we would wear so that we did not end up wearing the same clothes."
He added that the people who are really being hurt are those who will never know Brown.
After Hruska's speech people were invited up to the podium to light a candle and share their thoughts about Brown.
Friends who went on the same Dartmouth Outing Club trip, a fellow member of the Dartmouth fencing team, members of Brown's family and other friends spoke emotionally about their memories of him.
"Coming to School from Greece I had a hard time adjusting to Dartmouth, but Adam was always there for me," Iason Demos '97 said.
Claudia Brown told the gathering that her greatest claim to fame was being Adam's mother. Her speech focused on her son's experience at Dartmouth and his love of the school.
"He liked every part of it, even things he wasn't supposed to, like the food and his roommate," she said.
Adam's father, Jeffrey Brown '66, thanked all those who came to remember his son and remarked at how easy it was to speak highly of him.
Adrian Tompsett '97, Brown's freshman-year roommate, said he was scared he would be unable to speak and instead prepared a musical performance to express his feelings. Tompsett performed "I Remember Clifford" which was written by Benny Golson in memory of Clifford Brown, a friend and fellow musician who died tragically in his 20s.
Rabbi Siegel concluded the ceremony with the Kadish, the traditional Jewish memorial prayer. The Brown family invited those at the service to attend a reception at the Tucker Foundation so they could meet their son's friends.
