Solemn, tearful farewell to Colin

By Denise Dick

Family, friends and Mooney students and faculty packed the church for funeral Mass.

BOARDMAN — The last time Cardinal Mooney High School student Chrissy Hobby saw and spoke to her friend Colin Hart, she had no idea it would be the last time.

Chrissy struggled through tears to get through her portion of a eulogy for Colin during his funeral Mass on Thursday at St. Charles Church.

“Why couldn’t he see how special he was?” Chrissy cried.

Sniffling and quiet sobs filled the church as Colin’s friends expressed their sorrow and relayed their memories.

Chrissy said she started to write about the impact Colin has had on her life but discovered she wasn’t a good-enough writer to explain it all.

“No matter how mad, angry or sad I was, he always knew how to make it better,” Chrissy said.

Colin, 18, and Jamie Serich, 17, both of the township and both Mooney seniors, were found dead early Sunday in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Both had been shot in the head, and police suspect either murder-suicide or double-suicide was the cause.

Family, friends, Mooney students and faculty packed the church for the service, some standing along the back wall because no seats remained.

Chrissy doesn’t understand why Colin and Jamie couldn’t see the bright futures that lay ahead of them.

“I’m happy I had the privilege of having Colin in my life,” Chrissy said.

Mooney graduate Mark Warchol first met classmate Colin at a school baseball team gathering.

“It won’t be a surprise to anyone that Colin had a big smile on his face,” Mark said during the Mass.

They spent the next three years together playing baseball. Colin played for the school and for the state-champion Boardman Community and Babe Ruth leagues.

After a narrow loss in an important game, Mark saw that same smile on Colin’s face. When Mark asked Colin why he was smiling, Colin said, “‘It’s OK, now we’ve got a whole other year to come back and do it all over again.’”

Colin saw the bright side of things, Mark said, and he cheered other people up as well.

“Just your outlook on life made my life a little better,” said Jeff Welman.

Colin persuaded Jeff to play baseball just so the two pals could spend more time together, Jeff said.

Colin was born in Moscow, Russia, and came to the United States when he was adopted by his parents, Michael and Helen “Sue” Hart, at age 4.

He played on the school’s baseball and basketball teams and volunteered at St. Vincent De Paul Society’s soup kitchen in Youngstown.

Another student, Vinnie Korda, referred to a poster put up at Mooney. A classmate had written a memory of Colin discussing a class he or she shared with Colin.

Others in the class would make fun of and laugh at the student, but Colin was nice.

“‘When I made a mistake, Colin would say that it’s OK or would tell me how to correct it,’” Vinnie relayed from the poster.

Interment in Calvary Cemetery followed the service.

The back of the funeral program included a photograph of Colin in his Mooney baseball uniform next to a poem, “When Tomorrow Starts Without Me.”

“... When tomorrow starts without me

“Don’t think we’re far apart

“For every time you think of me

“I’m right there in your heart.”

Services for Jamie are set for 9:15 this morning at Cunningham-Becker Funeral Home, Poland Chapel, and at 10 a.m. at Holy Family Church.

denise_dick@vindy.com