Brandon Twp.- John Joseph Lafata was remembered last week as an intelligent, charismatic, and outstanding young man.
John, a Brandon High School junior who also attended OSMTech at Clarkston High School, died Oct. 15. He was 16.
‘He was the student that everyone loved,? said John’s OSMTech math teacher and robotics coach, Kyle Hughes. ‘He understood everybody and was the kindest young man you could imagine. If you asked the kids, they can’t speak highly enough of him. It’s just a terrible loss.?
John was an altar server at St. Anne Catholic Church, as well as a valued member of Clarkston’s OSMTech Robotics Team Rush 27. Hughes said the team’s name, Rush, stands for respect, unity, spirit, and heart, all qualities that John exemplified.
‘The kids here feel very left behind,? said Hughes. ‘He got everyone excited about robotics and about learning. He was wonderful.?
John was being treated for pneumonia at the time of his death.
He is the beloved son of Matt and Paula; brother of Paul and Nina; grandson of Eva Lafata and Marion and Dana Hall; and is also survived by many loving family members and friends.
A candlelight vigil at Brandon High School took place on Oct. 17 and a funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 19 at St. Anne Catholic Church, 825 S. Ortonville Road.
Donations can be made to the Lafata Family Fund or the Lafata Education Fund for Paul and Nina’s future education expenses. Send to: Clarkston Brandon Community Credit Union, 4 South St., P.O. Box 194, Ortonville, MI 48462.