The Wheaton College baseball program is mourning the loss of one of its freshmen, Tomassino “Tommy” Offer, who was killed after being struck by a train in downtown Wheaton, Illinois, on Sunday morning.
Offer, 18, had moved from Washington Township, Michigan, to play baseball at the school this fall. Now, his coach, his church, and his former high school are mourning his passing.
Train Accident in Wheaton
Offer was struck by an eastbound Union Pacific freight train on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 11, after leaving church with a friend, according to ABC7 Chicago.
A Metra spokesperson said that Offer tried to cross the tracks near Main Street after one train had passed, but he was unaware that another train was approaching from the opposite direction.
The Rev. Santos Castillo of St. Michael Catholic Church told ABC7 that he spoke with Offer shortly before he left church, and that Offer was heading to Chicago with a friend.
“I definitely saw him before he left, and he just waved at me, and together with his friend Joe, they were here together, and who would have known that was the last time he’d be in church,” Castillo said.
Castillo described Offer as a devoted member of the parish.
“He was Catholic. He came here very diligently every Sunday to worship with us. He was a nice kid. Didn’t talk a lot, but he was here, and he prayed,” Castillo said.
Wheaton College held a memorial for Offer on Sunday night, and students and community members gathered for a memorial Mass at St. Michael Catholic Church on Monday.
‘A great teammate’
Wheaton head baseball coach Matt Husted paid tribute to Offer in a statement released by the school on Tuesday.
“Our team is grieving and our hearts are heavy as we grieve alongside Tommy’s family and friends. This is a difficult time for us all; however, we have peace in knowing he was strong in his faith and that Christ is with him and those close to him,” Husted said.
“Tommy was sincere in all aspects of his life. He was joyful, but a competitor – all qualities that made him a great teammate,” he added.
“He was really interested in other people and showed them that they were important to him,” Husted said. “He really connected with people in the Wheaton community beyond baseball. He had a large network of people on campus.”
Offer’s high school, Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac, Michigan, also shared a statement mourning the loss.
“Tomassino Offer was an outstanding student and an even better young man. He was loved by his teachers and classmates and had many friends, including his soccer teammates with whom he won a state championship, and his baseball teammates,” the school said.
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