Remembering Charles Volpe
After Charles Volpe drowned in April 2006, his parents wanted their son never to be forgotten.
Dylan Fitzgerald, a local Boy Scout who had been friends with Charles, took that message to heart.
"I had the idea to do something when Mr. Volpe and Mrs. Volpe said they never wanted Charles to be forgotten," Fitzgerald said.
So when it became time for Fitzgerald to plan his Eagle Scout project, he decided to build a permanent memorial for Volpe at Jordan's Point, where the 16-year-old Volpe died.
"There's nothing a parent holds more dear to her heart than to have another kid say something nice about your son," said Kim Volpe, Charles's mother. "What an amazing kid [Dylan] is."
After at least a year of planning and building Fitzgerald completed the memorial at the end of October. It was dedicated on Oct. 28.
"The location is bittersweet because it's not a happy place for me," Kim Volpe said. "But it's good to know that there's a place ... where his friends can go to remember him."
The memorial garden includes a bench carved with Volpe’s name, dates of birth and death, and his favorite saying.
“Live to love, love to live … no regrets,” the inscription says.
In place of a plaque, Fitzgerald decided to place an engraved stone at the site. Because granite - his original choice – was too expensive, Fitzgerald had Kim Volpe select a piece of limestone from the family’s property. The stone, set in front of the bench, also carries Volpe’s name and the slogan.
Fitzgerald took the stone to Hamric Memorials, a local headstone company. Hamric employees donated their time and expertise to carve the inscription on the stone. (View pictures of the stone and memorial).
As the final piece of the memorial, Fitzgerald planted a Heritage River birch tree behind the bench and tied 18 red bandannas to it.
“When Charles played tennis he wore a red bandanna around his head,” Fitzgerald said. “Everyone since his death wore red bandannas around their wrist in memory in him. So it’s kind of like a little symbol of him so we put them all around here. And there are 18 on the tree, which is how old he would be this year.”
At the memorial’s dedication, Fitzgerald and the other scouts were introduced by Chuck Volpe. Fitzgerald worked closely with his friend’s father throughout the design and building. (Read about Volpe’s efforts to educate people about the dangers of low-head dams).
"Dylan was adamant that he memorialize Charles," Kim Volpe said. "He's making sure that [Charles] is never forgotten, and that's what you worry about: Someone forgetting him."
Because Jordan’s Point is a city park, Fitzgerald planned the memorial with approval from City Planner Bill Blatter and the Jordan’s Point Park Committee – a citizen’s group that oversees the park.
Though the project was primarily designed to help keep the memory of Charles Volpe alive, Fitzgerald is also using the service project to finish his Eagle Scout rank with the Boy Scouts of America.
Requirements for the rank include earning 21 merit badges, serving your scout troop in a leadership position and completing a significant service project that benefits the community. Only 2 percent of Boy Scouts earn the rank.
“It has to be a project that will help and support the community or something that involves the community and is not just for a single person,” Fitzgerald said.
In the 19 months since Volpe’s death, Fitzgerald has seen an encouraging trend. He says local teenagers are being much more cautious when they swim at Jordan’s Point.
Kim Volpe is glad that people are taking note of the dam's dangers. She is also glad that her son's friend is carrying on Charles's legacy.
"I can't say enough good things about Dylan Fitzgerald," she said.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead Supervisor:
Prof. Brian Richardson
Prof. Phylissa Mitchell
Reporting supervisors:
Prof. Doug Cumming
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd