Death of Amherstburg's Jacob Purdy rocks community
The death of a young Amherstburg football player, who was involved in a car crash late last month, has rocked the community to its core.
Friends and family are mourning the loss of 21-year-old Jacob Purdy, a running back for the Sarnia Imperials of the Northern Football Conference. He suffered severe injuries in a two-vehicle collision on May 27 and died four days later.
There has been an outpouring of support on social media for the graduate of St. Thomas of Villanova high school, who was also involved in theatre and is described by many as loving and warm hearted.
"Tremendous young man — extremely kind, always willing to help out his peers whether it was football or not," said Purdy's former high school football coach Glen Mills. "Just a genuinely really, really good guy — really, really funny, always had stories and always in good humour."
Amhestburg Mayor Aldo Dicarlo hopes the community will continue to rally around the family.
"Tragedies like this are one of the worst things that can happen to anyone," he said. "If there's anything I can do to help them, I will do so."
Mills said Purdy's fiance is expecting to give birth to the couple's first son in July. The family plans to name the boy Jacob, after his father.
Purdy's family also donated his organs. One person will receive his heart and lungs. In total, his organs will be going to five people.
