Homily praises Jamie’s humor

By Harold Gwin

The Mooney senior was remembered as one who could make others laugh.

POLAND — Ernie Formichelli says that when he thinks of Jamie Serich, he can see him “bouncing” down the hallways of Cardinal Mooney High School.

“He touched all of our lives in some way,” said Formichelli, a Cardinal Mooney teacher and a deacon at Holy Family Church, where Jamie was a member. “He was a good friend to many of us.”

There were embraces, tears and laughter as Jamie’s classmates, family and friends joined to celebrate his life in a funeral Mass at Holy Family Church on Friday. The pews filled quickly, and those who couldn’t find a seat lined the walls of the sanctuary.

“Jamie had that rare ability to make other people laugh,” said Formichelli as he delivered the Mass homily. Jamie would want his friends and family to remember that and the good times they experienced together, he said.

Formichelli made those in the church smile and many laugh as he recounted some of Jamie’s exploits.

He recalled that, four years ago, Monsignor William Connell asked Jamie’s eighth-grade class to write down their favorite memories of Holy Family School as they were about to graduate.

Many of those lists contained just three words — milk and cereal — Formichelli said. It turns out that milk and cereal, in addition to being a breakfast food, was a song written by Jamie and another student, he said, pausing, bringing smiles to the faces of many who could anticipate what was coming next and then singing the entire song that consists of just four lines.

“Milk and cereal,” Formichelli sang, as people began to chuckle. “Milk and cereal, milk and cereal, cereal and milk.”

Jamie, 17, and Colin Hart, 18, both of Boardman and both seniors at Cardinal Mooney, were found dead Sunday in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Boardman. Both had been shot in the head. No rulings have been issued in their deaths.

Students on a Cardinal Mooney video-production team worked on a video to be shown at the start of school this fall.

“Be a peacekeeper” was the theme, with the video offering some “dos” and “don’ts” that students should follow. Jamie was a part of that team.

“I laughed until I cried at Jamie’s antics,” Formichelli said, explaining that his favorite scene in the video is when Jamie, performing one of the “dont’s,” runs down a student in the cafeteria, picks him up by his feet and shakes money from his pockets, all the while insisting that he needs some chicken nuggets.

Jamie insisted on doing his own stunts and writing his own lines for the script, refusing to accept any direction, Formichelli recalled.

Jamie was not only a fun-maker but an accomplished athlete, Formichelli said.

At Mooney, he was a member of the varsity cross country, baseball, basketball and soccer teams and intramural basketball teams.

He played on the 10-year-old Poland Little League All-Star Ohio state championship team and in the 13-year-old Pony League World Series in California.

His interest in sports was evidenced by the gifts presented as part of the Mass. They included a baseball and glove and a basketball.

In addition to sports, he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends and was an avid video-game enthusiast.

So how do we get along without Jamie? Formichelli asked.

“Jamie is with God and enters into God’s eternal love and peace. Our brother Jamie is at peace,” he said, asking those who love and cherish Jamie to take solace in that.

gwin@vindy.com