ENDICOTT -- Among the numerous banners, students dressed in blue and Facebook statuses by Union-Endicott High School students, the simple act of flowers, a West Corners baseball cap and a royal blue teddy bear being placed in the senior locker area of the high school is worthy of mention.

All of these things were placed by students in honor of Kayne Erickson, who was killed in a car accident last week in Owego. His funeral took place Monday at 1 p.m. at Allen's Funeral Home in Endicott, after which a slow procession of cars was seen moving passed the high school at around 2:30.

Among the things placed on and around Erickson's locker were sentimental notes signed by Kayne’s numerous friends, along with drawings, bouquets of flowers and of course the teddy bear whose fur was Kayne’s favorite color, blue.

Since the loss of Kayne on Wednesday, Dec. 14, a simple walk through the halls of Union-Endicott shows the impact the young man had on the people around him.

Students of all grades, including teachers and administrators, were devastated by the death of one in their own, especially one so young with so much to live and to see and to do.
      His obituary, which ran in the Press & Sun-Bulletin newspaper, was written by a family member.
      "The day you left this earth, we turned to your Pastor and said 'God has taken him too soon, he had so much he wanted to accomplish,'" the obituary read. "And his reply to us was quite simple, 'Look around us and you will see that he already has.'"

However, this experience has taught everyone affected by this tragedy- everyone in the Union-Endicott community, that life is precious.

Kayne, a young man full of life, faith and an infectious smile, touched everyone around him with his kindness and the energy he brought to mundane everyday tasks.

Something I heard once really hits home regarding this experience: “We can shed a tear because he is gone, or we can smile because he has lived.”