On Thursday April 5, 2012, UT student Curtis Robert McIntyre passed away while home in Maryland. McIntyre was diagnosed with lymphoma in February of last year and was heavily involved with the UT ice hockey club.
Dr. Stephen Kucera, head coach of the UT ice hockey team, described McIntyre’s enthusiasm for the game when he said, “Curtis had an absolute love of the game of hockey. He was an avid fan of the Capitals. When we first started as a club, we had a lot of practices, but no teams to play. Those practices were at 7:45 in the morning and required guys to be out in front of UT at 6:45 am, ready to go. Curtis was always there and eager to hit the ice and skate.”
He underwent a bone marrow transplant, in which his father was the donor, but the transplant was unsuccessful.
“We were all very excited for him when he announced in the locker room after a game in Ellenton last October, against UNF, if I remember correctly, that his treatment was successful and he was cancer free. The locker room erupted in applause and excitement on that news. And that hope for his future was dashed just a few weeks later when he was not feeling well and learned that the cancer had returned,” explained Kucera. “The team dedicated our game against USF at the Tampa Bay Times Forum to him and raised over $1k for the Lymphoma Society. We got him a DVD of the game that the good folks at the Forum put together.”
“Curtis will be greatly missed by all of us,” Kucera continued. “I especially feel for his family, to lose a child at a time of his life when it should be filled with hope and excitement about all of the possibilities that should lay ahead. I also feel for Jenn Valendia, his girlfriend and closest friends – Charly Stinson and Mark Baccoli. Curtis’ spirit never wilted in the face of the most difficult of circumstances. He made the most of every day he had, as best as he could, with a positive outlook. From what I have heard, he had a lot of friends who surrounded him while he was home and especially when things took a turn for the worse.”
Junior Mark Baccoli, one of McIntyre’s friends and the UT ice hockey president added, “Curtis’ message to everyone as he was battling his disease was live your life to the fullest and have no regrets. Work hard at the things you love and become good at them. He attended every hockey road trip he was able to, even when he knew he couldn’t play because his blood counts were too low. He stood on the bench with his black suit on, helped fill water bottles, participated in locker room discussion and led chants before going onto the ice. He did everything he could to help the team out. Even when he was feeling exhausted during his initial recovery period, he still drove players to late night practices at Clearwater Ice Arena and took shots on the goalies between drills. It may be cliché to say he was everything you can ask for in a teammate, but he was just that. He really was the heart of our hockey team until the moment he left.”
McIntyre’s funeral was held at DeVol Funeral Home in Maryland on Tuesday, April 10. Friends and family wore blue to the funeral in his honor.
Many students on campus also wore blue on this day, as it was his favorite color.
There was also a moment of silence in his honor at the Leadership Awards Night on Tuesday April 10.
Grief counselors are available by appointment for all students through the Dickey Health and Wellness Center (253-6250).
Written expressions of sympathy can be sent to Plant Hall 124, Box C, for the next week and will be sent to McIntyre’s family.
Shivani Kanji can be reached at minaret.news@gmail.com.