More than 1,500 attend celebration of life of Troy High School student Logan Weed

At a celebration of his life on Saturday, Troy High School senior Logan Weed was remembered as a leader in athletics, as someone who loved life and had many friends, and as a person who spread his love of hunting and fishing to others.

More than 1,500 people attended Saturday's event, which was held at the Troy High School Memorial Auditorium, said Dan Gilliland, a funeral director with the Gerald W. Vickery Jr. Funeral Home in Troy.

Weed was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Dec. 20 on state Route 14 in Columbia Township.

On the Troy High School football team, Weed was a quarterback and a strong safety on defense, as well as the co-captain.

"We all know that Logan loved life," the Rev. Richard Noggle of the Big Pond United Methodist Church said in a sermon he gave at Saturday's event. "He was a fisherman and a hunter, an outdoorsman and an athlete."

Weed was "a loving son, a loving grandson, a loving great-grandson and a dear friend to all who knew him," Noggle said.

Weed was also very competitive in athletics, Noggle said.

"He liked to win and he liked to do his best, and he expected everyone around him to do their best," he said.

"Logan loved being around his family," Noggle also said. "He insisted they always eat together.

"He showed great sportsmanship to everyone, whether in a loss or a win," Noggle said.

Weed "has always been committed to the team," Troy High School wrestling coach Curt Route told those at the gathering. "I couldn't have asked for a more respectable and hardworking young man."

Troy High School football coach Kevin Schucker told those at the gathering that Weed as a "leader, but a quiet leader."

Weed taught a lot of kids how to hunt and fish, Schucker also said.

"Some probably had no interest in that, but he got them interested," Schucker said. And that new interest in hunting and fishing may have helped some of those people keep out of trouble, he said.

"He was a wonderful young man," Schucker said.

"I knew he was a leader," said Troy High School baseball coach Ryan Wood. "He was truly determined to be successful in a lot of what he did."

"He was respected by his peers and adults alike," Wood said.

Weed was friendly, said Travis Earle, a fellow student from Troy High School who attended the event.

"He had a lot of friends," Earle said. "He was an all-around good guy. He liked to joke around a lot."

"He was really close to his family," said a neighbor of Weed's, Ben Jackson. "He was well-liked by everybody."

"He was the all-American teenager," said Virginia Parks of Troy, who is friend of Weed's family. Weed was polite and "never put anybody down," she added.

"He was always a fun person," recalled Michael Rogers, who graduated last year from Troy High School and played football with Weed. "He always had a smile on his face."

"He got along with everybody," said Troy High School student Ashley Lee.

The accident occurred at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, as Weed was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier south on Route 14 in Columbia Township, and a pickup truck operated by Edward Pepper of Canton was driving north on Route 14, police said.

For an unknown reason, Weed lost control of his vehicle, which spun in a counter-clockwise direction and was struck by Pepper's vehicle in the northbound lane and berm, police said.

Pepper, 48, had minor injuries, and a woman in Pepper's vehicle, who is Pepper's wife, had moderate injures, police said.

A special candlelight service will be held at 6 p.m. today at Alparon Park in Troy in memory of Weed. The service is open to the public.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or e-mail: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.Review Photo/JAMES LOEWENSTEIN

Memorabilia and photos of Troy High School senior Logan M. Weed were on display at the celebration of his life Saturday at the school's auditorium.

Sign up for Text Alerts

Sign up for e-mail newsletters