Matthew "Matty" Demaine '04 was a long-time arts fan who was elected the most well-liked member of his high school class. He played energetically on the varsity lacrosse team and was widely embraced for his good cheer and great humor.
Monday, after an afternoon lacrosse practice and an evening hot shower, Demaine settled in for a night's rest. He never woke up.
At around 12:30 a.m. his two roommates sensed irregularities in his breathing. They called 911, and EMS workers arrived at his dorm room in Hitchcock Hall where they performed CPR. But it was too late.
At 1:45 a.m., Demaine was declared dead at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center -- apparently of cardiac arrest.
By all accounts, the 19-year-old native of Northfield, Mass. was in supreme health. He began most of his days lifting weights in the wee hours of the morning. He spent most of his afternoons on the lacrosse field. And, family and friends say, he never abused alcohol or drugs. Nor did he have a history of heart problems, they say.
So when the news of Demaine's sudden and tragic death spread, it left those who knew him in disbelief -- forced, they said, to try to believe the unbelievable.
"I'll never forget what I went through this morning. Two of the other freshmen on the team came and woke me up at 7:00 in the morning and told me 'Matty's dead,'" said teammate Lucas Robertson '04. "It was so hard to understand, you just think, 'I just saw him yesterday.'"
Those who knew Demaine describe him as an animated friend who was quick to laugh and quicker to tell a joke.
"He was the nicest guy, understanding and supportive of all his friends," roommate Adam Goodman '04 remembered.
Said a family friend who asked not to be named: "I think we'll all remember him as very full of life, someone who enjoyed life. A great sense of humor, but I don't think he ever realized how funny he was."
Demaine's autopsy, the initial part of which was completed today, will probably not be released until the end of the week.
Health experts say sudden death in young adults, while uncommon, does happen.
"It's not unheard of," said Director of College Health Services John Turco, who worked on Demaine's case. "I don't think there's any evidence that athletics had anything to do with the death. He wasn't competing at the time. Athletics, if anything, is positive for your health."
DeMaine was a 2000 graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon School, where he played on the men's lacrosse team and in his senior year was selected captain,as well as a High School All-American.
At Dartmouth, Demaine was also a member of the men's lacrosse team and had played in seven games this spring. He had a special interest in printmaking and ceramics. He served as a head usher at the Hopkins Center for the Arts and had planned to join the Center's technical staff later in the year. He also served as a volunteer at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vt.
Demaine applied early decision to Dartmouth and "was thrilled to attend," said the family friend. "His parents were thrilled because they were close enough to go see games. They were intending to go see him play today," she said.
"He wanted to take in all that Dartmouth had to offer," she continued. "He wanted to buy tickets to everything when he first got there."
Throughout his freshman year, Demaine was quick to befriend his teammates. But, they say, he didn't always go along with team behavior.
"Most of the guys on the lacrosse team have a good time, go to [Theta Delta Chi fraternity] and drink beer. Matty shied away from that. He was not your average member of the lacrosse team," recalled Robertson.
A memorial service for Demaine is scheduled for Saturday, April 14 at 1:30 p.m. in Sage Chapel on the Northfield campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School. A memorial service at Dartmouth will be announced at a later date.
Yesterday on campus, grief counselors were available throughout the day. The lacrosse team held two meetings in which they talked about Demaine's death. And his fellow Hitchcock residents met in the evening to share their reactions.
Demaine is survived by his parents; a brother, Daniel Demaine, of Ithaca, N.Y.; and maternal grandparents Frank and Nan Carter of Vineyard Haven, Mass.
Recalled Robertson: "He had really long, cool hair. And we all shaved our heads before the season started, and he did not want to shave his head. Everyone was wondering if he would do it. I just remember him getting in the chair to get his hair buzzed, with a big smile on his face."
