The South Bay teen who succumbed to injuries sustained when he was hit by a car was remembered Sunday for his love of sports and wildly colorful socks.
Robert Spears, an eighth grade math teacher at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, wrote a speech about Loukas Angelo when he graduated from middle school last year.
"Loukas is a young man of few words and beautiful socks," he said. "Pink socks, purple socks, socks with pictures of fireworks, socks with sunsets, and socks with floral patterns. With his height, his deadpan facial expressions, and his athletic stance, it’s easy to miss the art gallery on his ankles."
The speech, which was shared with Hillbrook families alongside news of Loukas’ death, also described the 14-year-old as "confident," "determined" and "earnest."
Loukas, a freshman at San Jose-based Archbishop Mitty High School was hit by a car Wednesday as he ran across the street after school, police said. He was hospitalized at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center with severe head trauma and remained in critical condition until he passed away Friday night, according to his cousin.
He was placed on life support as the weekend began in keeping with the Angelo family’s decision to donate his organs.
Mark Silver, Hillbrook’s head of school, described Loukas as an "exceptional young man" and "integral part of his class."
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"A favorite recent memory that several people have shared was the celebration that took place after [Loukas] broke the school’s mile time record on the last day of school last year," he said. "It was a sign of his grit and perseverance, as he kept trying and trying until he finally achieved his goal."
Spears echoed the sentiment.
"[Loukas] entered the top five in Hillbrook’s 23-year history of record-keeping with a [5-minute and 49-second] mile," he said. "And … he gave it one last try, and now holds the school’s all-time record with a [5-minute and 30-second] mile, breaking the previous record by five seconds."
Loukas was a "powerful" basketball player and "supportive teammate," Spears said, adding that he was also a "devoted older brother."
"I recently asked Nico, who just finished kindergarten, about his big brother Loukas," he said. "As Nico describes him – this is an actual quote – ‘Loukas is my brother. He is big. He is great. That’s all.’"
Meanwhile, Loukas' friends took to social media, using the hashtag #PrayForLoukas.
Archbishop Mitty's principal Tim Brosnan also wrote an email to the school's community, expressing gratitude for the "overwhelming outpouring of love and support." A screenshot of his note was posted on Twitter.
Brosnan wrote: "I can appreciate that, for many of us, this has been a painful and heartbreaking emotional roller coaster. Unfortunately, much of this is unavoidable. Situations such as these are complex and demand time for families to process their grief and and make difficult decisions."
The Angelo family plans to create an educational program fund in honor of Loukas. Additional details about the fund were not immediately available.
"Loukas embodies the phrase 'Still waters run deep,'" Sears said. "The beauty and grace he is capable of is always present, under the surface, and on his feet."
