Sports

A life lost, a school shaken, a community devastated

Shoreham-Wading River superintendent Steven Cohen is swarmed by reporters outside Tuesday's funeral. (Credit: Paul Squire)
Shoreham-Wading River superintendent Steven Cohen is swarmed by reporters outside Tuesday’s funeral. (Credit: Paul Squire)

News of Tom’s death made its way onto the pages and websites of some of the nation’s largest newspapers and publications this past week, including Time, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

NFL Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, who played for the Jets and Patriots, called to see how the Cutinella family was doing on the night Tom died, his father said during his eulogy.

“[He asked] how we were doing, if we needed help,” Mr. Cutinella said. “He’s one of the greatest football players that ever played the game and he was concerned for our small-town kid, our son.”

Longtime Jets radio announcers Bob Wischusen and Marty Lyons offered condolences to the Cutinella family during the NFL team’s game in San Diego on Sunday. Tom’s death was also referenced on a nationally syndicated NFL radio show hosted by Mike Francesa and the Boomer & Carton show on WFAN, which is co-hosted by retired Super Bowl quarterback Boomer Esiason, an East Islip native who maintains close ties to the Suffolk County football community.

The Wildcat Athletic Club, a booster for Shoreham sports, created an online fundraiser for a scholarship fund for future students “who hold Tom’s high regard for academics, sports and giving back.” The club set a goal of $25,000. By Tuesday, over 400 donations totaling more than $43,000 had poured in.

While standing in line outside St. John the Baptist R.C. Church in Wading River on Sunday, the first day of Tom’s wake, a father could be heard telling his son, “The entire Shoreham-Wading River community is here. And many other people, too.”

The high school junior’s family, friends and neighbors weren’t the only people who showed up. Many people from surrounding communities also paid their respects.

Buddy Gengler, a 1997 graduate whose Shoreham baseball jersey was retired along with Mr. Millheiser’s in August, helped orchestrate a unique way to honor Tom. A West Point alum, Mr. Gengler reached out to the school about getting a jersey made for Tom. In turn, West Point sent the Cutinella family an official acceptance letter and scholarship offer in Tom’s honor, Mr. Millheiser said. The family received the letter Monday, when Mr. Gengler presented it at the wake.

“That was something special,” Mr. Millheiser said. “A chance to fulfill his dream, in a way.”

That same night, mourners were bused beyond road closures to the church, where they waited in line for upwards of two hours to enter the service.

As they walked inside, they passed dozens of photos depicting Tom’s happy childhood.

Frank Cutinella’s colleagues in the Suffolk County Police Department served as ushers, directing visitors around the pews to the casket, where they said goodbye to the beloved teen, who was dressed in his football jersey. They then shared embraces with Tom’s family.

The heart-wrenching scene played out twice more on Monday, before Tuesday’s funeral, at which the crowd was so large the doors to the church were eventually shut and the service was broadcast over loudspeakers to hundreds of additional mourners outside.

Tom’s brothers, cousins and teammates served as pallbearers, carrying the casket from a hearse adorned with the number 54, written in flowers.

[The day Tom was born] was the first best day of our lives,” his father said during the eulogy, referencing the days each of his children were born. “No other day will ever compare to that. His death was the worst day of our lives, and no other day will ever compare to that.

“Tom was the most positive person I have ever met,” he continued. “I know that Tom would want each and every person affected by his death to move forward — go back to school, go back to work, play the sports you want to play and do the things you love to do.

“Tom would never ask for a pity party. He was just too strong and positive for that. Thank you and please live life, and love life, like our Thomas.”

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