Friends, family, classmates and professors gathered Friday in the Beall Concert Hall to commemorate the lives of Ellis Heyer and Collin La More, who passed away Jan. 22 in a car accident on Highway 58 near Willamette Pass.
The University’s gospel choir consoled the hall’s large audience as the emotional memorial began. Several bouquets of flowers surrounded the smiling photographs of Heyer and La More, and boxes of tissues passed through the crowd as speakers acknowledged the 21-year-old students as close friends and spirited outdoorsmen.
“They shared a zest for life and adventure, loving nothing more than to be challenging themselves in the harshest of environments,” Sheila Heyer, Ellis Heyer’s mother, said. “My son was fearless and wasn’t afraid to try anything new; nothing held him back.”
Both La More and Heyer participated in the University’s Outdoor Pursuits Program, and majored in biology and human physiology, respectively. Their active lifestyles remained the over-arching theme of the memorial as friend after friend made their way to a podium to share their stories and feelings about the two young men.
The memorial was preceded by a more intimate meeting Thursday between the students’ families and their close friends. Friday’s memorial, which was attended by ASUO President Amelie Rousseau and University President Richard Lariviere, celebrated Heyer and La More’s connections throughout the school and the broader community.
“My son loved this campus, he loved the area and now being here I understand why he did,” George La More, Collin La More’s father, said. “We’re all sharing the hardship, and everyone in the community has been very supportive of us and each other.”
During the memorial, the families presented a slideshow illustrating the lives of the young men. Dozens of photos portrayed La More during his semester abroad studying Spanish in Mexico, as well as on camping and snowboarding trips. For Heyer, a photo of him as a toddler studying a globe transitioned into images of him standing outside the Taj Mahal during a recent internship in India. Several photos also captured him biking and hiking around Oregon.
The last photo was of a sunset taken by Heyer the Thursday before the accident. As his mother explained, he suffered from a chronic eye condition and had just undergone the last of 12 surgeries. Heyer posted the photo to Facebook that night and described to others its beauty and his excitement to have finally seen a Eugene sunset clearly.
After the memorial, audience members proceeded to the Skylight Lounge of the EMU for a reception. Some people carried flowers from the bouquets on stage as they followed the winding paths through campus, remarking on the sunny weather that any outdoorsman would surely enjoy. Nevertheless, the low-key reception was as crowded as the memorial itself, reflecting La More and Heyer’s impact at the University.
“We knew very quickly that there were many who wanted to give (Collin and Ellis) recognition,” Paul Shang, University assistant vice president and dean of students, said. “People were calling almost immediately after the accident. Their families have been very giving in wanting to help students and others who knew them to begin the healing process.”
The families, along with Shang, also said students struggling with the loss of La More or Heyer should seek out the University’s Counseling and Testing Center.
La More and Heyer’s families said donations in honor of their sons will go to the Outdoor Pursuits Program, and can be made by contacting the UO Foundation.
“Lives as vibrant as Collin and Ellis’ will likely continue to give,” Warren Light, the director of the Wesley Center, said.
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