A Randolph College student died Thursday while driving home following the end of spring semester.
Aaron Shacklette, a freshman, has been remembered as a leader in the Randolph community and a loving friend and son.
He was headed home to Fredericksburg following the end of his final exams when his vehicle swerved off the road in Louisa County. He died that night at UVa Medical Center.
“This is a tremendous loss for our community,” Randolph spokeswoman Brenda Edson said Sunday afternoon, adding that students and staff alike had been hit hard by the tragedy.
Shacklette — or “Shack” as his friends called him — was a founding member of the Randolph men’s lacrosse team. His obituary, published in The Free Lance-Star, said it had been his dream to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. It said he brought enthusiasm and a tireless work ethic to the sport and rarely came off the field in a game.
“He desired to use his experiences playing, his faith and his education to become a coach and mentor to young athletes,” it read. “To him coaching was never to be measured in wins or losses, but rather in the character that developed in the athlete.”
Randolph held a campus vigil for Shacklette on Friday. The athletics department issued a statement praising his contributions to the school.
“Aaron was a pioneer of the lacrosse program and the heart and soul of our team,” stated head coach Scott Ketcham. “He was a tremendous young man with a huge heart and will be missed by family, friends and the Randolph College community.”
In addition to his role on the lacrosse team, Shacklette also served on the school’s First Year Board and in the Gold Key Guide program.
Edson said members of the Randolph community were leaning on each other for support during this difficult time. Counselors were made available, she said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Aaron’s family and friends as they deal with this tragic loss,” she said.
Shacklette was a graduate of Stafford High School. He is survived by his parents, Cynthia and Richard Shacklette, and his sister, half-brother and half-sister.
The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Chancellor Baptist Church in Fredericksburg. The family will receive visitors from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Covenant Funeral Service, Stafford Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Aaron Morden Shacklette Stafford Senior High School ShackLax Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Wachovia Bank, 5636 Plank Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407.
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