Two years after his death, Cory Hubbard's memory is celebrated by the scores who loved him.
Westhampton-Hampton Bays Patch By: Lisa Finn
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Sunday will mark two years since the Westhampton Beach community was rocked by the death of one of their own: Cory Hubbard, 22, a student at the University of Maryland, lost his life after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.
But in the months since, his parents, Ralph and Holly Hubbard, as well as his brother Kyle, have been the center of an outpouring of love and support — and a collective vow by all who loved Cory that his memory will live forever.
To that end, a the Live Your Cor Foundation was formed, hosting fundraisers in Cory’s memory, with proceeds used to create scholarships in his hame.
Last weekend, the Westhampton Beach High School athletic department, under the leadership of wrestling Coach Paul Bass, hosted the Second Annual Cory Hubbard Duals.
“It was heartwarming to see so many people wearing his name on their back,” Cory’s father Ralph Hubbard said this week, thanking Bass and Westhampton Beach’s Athletics Director Kathy Masterson.
Westhampton, Hubbard said, has hosted a Dual Meet wrestling tournament for the past several years. “Cory wrestled in the tournament for five consecutive years, from eighth grade through his senior year in high school,” Hubbard said.
The entire community mourned Cory’s loss; hearts were broken and students took to the field on a frigid, snowy winter day to honor him, standing in the formation of his team number, after his death. Long lines of visitors stood for hours, waiting to pay their last respects to a young man whose bright smile and warm heart will never be forgotten.
Cory left a long legacy at Westhampton Beach High School: The fitness room has a wall dedicated to Cory, designed by Katie Parry. “It will hopefully inspire young athletes to strive for leadership, character and maintain a team-first attitude,” Hubbard said.
The two years since they lost their son have not been easy for the Hubbards.
“Since Cory was hit and killed by a drunk driver, we have met many parents who have lost children through our involvement with The Compassionate Friends,” Hubbard said. “We have come to realize that the loss of a child is unlike other losses. We know people who are grieving the loss of their child for over 20 years. When you lose a child or sibling or even a grandchild you lose a future and the milestones of their friends and contemporaries are constant reminders of the loss.”
That’s why events such as the wrestling tournament touch a chord so deep, he said. “The tributes to Cory are heartwarming reminders that he had an impact on so many people in his 22 years. We are fortunate to have so many people willing to keep his memory alive and use his example to help inspire young people in our community.”
He added, “There is a saying in the Compassionate Friends that says, ‘If you say my child’s name it may bring a tear to my eye, but if you don’t mention them it breaks my heart.’ That sums up what we feel about the scholarships and dedications created in Cory’s memory. We will never get over our loss but we are blessed that our friends and family are comfortable remembering him and bring him up often.”
After they heard the most heartbreaking news any parent could ever have to bear, Cory Hubbard’s mother and father reflected on his beautiful life.
“He was a very special boy,” his mother, Holly Hubbard said in 2014. “He was fun, easygoing, the life of the party. He always seemed to have a smile, and was always joking.”
According to the Prince George’s County Police Department, Hubbard was killed while trying to cross Baltimore Avenue at Knox Road in College Park.
Last year, Liam Adepo, 30, of Maryland was sentenced to two years in jail for the the hit and run accident; he then fled the scene.
But rather than anger, his parents, who collected heartfelt impact statements from friends and loved ones to read in the courtroom, have chosen to focus on forgiveness — and on keeping the memory of their son’s beautiful life alive through good works and positivity.
“He was put here to make people’s lives better, to give love and take love. That was his role, God’s mission for him. And we’re so lucky to have had him,” Hubbard said.
Their son, Hubbard said, loved to travel and enjoyed family trips to national parks across the country, including Zion and Bryce National Parks, the Rocky Mountains and the Bandelier Monument in New Mexico, exploring the mesas where pueblo cliff dwellers once lived.
“We were touring these ancient civilizations in the United States and he was this little kid, climbing on rocks,” his dad remembered.
The young man took his penchant for travel and pursued it as a young college student, seeing Alaska, and spending a semester in Australia and traveling to New Zealand, his father said.
“He said it was the trip of a lifetime,” Hubbard remembered, his voice breaking with grief. “He was his inquisitive self. He always loved to travel.”
Scores of friends shared their memories of their son, an athlete, a scholar, and a kind-hearted young man who touched the lives of so many.
“His college roommates were interviewed and said he was a peacekeeper,” Holly Hubbard said. “He was the one always keeping everyone in check, as a lacrosse goalie, the one that gave everyone support on the field.”
Even through their tears, the Hubbards were able to smile at a photo of a Halloween costume their son wore, as a “tourist,” dressed to resemble his dad on their many adventures.
Through sports, including lacrosse, football and wrestling, and through REACH, a program he pursued with the Westhampton Presbyterian Church, the young man “was quick to make friends,” Hubbard said. “One girl told us that even though she’d only met him once, she’d never forget him.”
Cory, a 2010 graduate of Westhampton Beach High School, was a senior at Maryland University studying Kinesiology.
Friends were heartbroken at the tragic news. “Cory was always full of a never-ending energy,” said Joanna DeLeon. “He was blessed with a light that could shine for eternity. His smile made you smile and his laugh made you laugh. He brought joy to people’s lives and I will always remember him that way.”
But in the months since, his parents, Ralph and Holly Hubbard, as well as his brother Kyle, have been the center of an outpouring of love and support — and a collective vow by all who loved Cory that his memory will live forever.
To that end, a the Live Your Cor Foundation was formed, hosting fundraisers in Cory’s memory, with proceeds used to create scholarships in his hame.
Last weekend, the Westhampton Beach High School athletic department, under the leadership of wrestling Coach Paul Bass, hosted the Second Annual Cory Hubbard Duals.
“It was heartwarming to see so many people wearing his name on their back,” Cory’s father Ralph Hubbard said this week, thanking Bass and Westhampton Beach’s Athletics Director Kathy Masterson.
Westhampton, Hubbard said, has hosted a Dual Meet wrestling tournament for the past several years. “Cory wrestled in the tournament for five consecutive years, from eighth grade through his senior year in high school,” Hubbard said.
The entire community mourned Cory’s loss; hearts were broken and students took to the field on a frigid, snowy winter day to honor him, standing in the formation of his team number, after his death. Long lines of visitors stood for hours, waiting to pay their last respects to a young man whose bright smile and warm heart will never be forgotten.
Cory left a long legacy at Westhampton Beach High School: The fitness room has a wall dedicated to Cory, designed by Katie Parry. “It will hopefully inspire young athletes to strive for leadership, character and maintain a team-first attitude,” Hubbard said.
The two years since they lost their son have not been easy for the Hubbards.
“Since Cory was hit and killed by a drunk driver, we have met many parents who have lost children through our involvement with The Compassionate Friends,” Hubbard said. “We have come to realize that the loss of a child is unlike other losses. We know people who are grieving the loss of their child for over 20 years. When you lose a child or sibling or even a grandchild you lose a future and the milestones of their friends and contemporaries are constant reminders of the loss.”
That’s why events such as the wrestling tournament touch a chord so deep, he said. “The tributes to Cory are heartwarming reminders that he had an impact on so many people in his 22 years. We are fortunate to have so many people willing to keep his memory alive and use his example to help inspire young people in our community.”
He added, “There is a saying in the Compassionate Friends that says, ‘If you say my child’s name it may bring a tear to my eye, but if you don’t mention them it breaks my heart.’ That sums up what we feel about the scholarships and dedications created in Cory’s memory. We will never get over our loss but we are blessed that our friends and family are comfortable remembering him and bring him up often.”
After they heard the most heartbreaking news any parent could ever have to bear, Cory Hubbard’s mother and father reflected on his beautiful life.
“He was a very special boy,” his mother, Holly Hubbard said in 2014. “He was fun, easygoing, the life of the party. He always seemed to have a smile, and was always joking.”
According to the Prince George’s County Police Department, Hubbard was killed while trying to cross Baltimore Avenue at Knox Road in College Park.
Last year, Liam Adepo, 30, of Maryland was sentenced to two years in jail for the the hit and run accident; he then fled the scene.
But rather than anger, his parents, who collected heartfelt impact statements from friends and loved ones to read in the courtroom, have chosen to focus on forgiveness — and on keeping the memory of their son’s beautiful life alive through good works and positivity.
“He was put here to make people’s lives better, to give love and take love. That was his role, God’s mission for him. And we’re so lucky to have had him,” Hubbard said.
Their son, Hubbard said, loved to travel and enjoyed family trips to national parks across the country, including Zion and Bryce National Parks, the Rocky Mountains and the Bandelier Monument in New Mexico, exploring the mesas where pueblo cliff dwellers once lived.
“We were touring these ancient civilizations in the United States and he was this little kid, climbing on rocks,” his dad remembered.
The young man took his penchant for travel and pursued it as a young college student, seeing Alaska, and spending a semester in Australia and traveling to New Zealand, his father said.
“He said it was the trip of a lifetime,” Hubbard remembered, his voice breaking with grief. “He was his inquisitive self. He always loved to travel.”
Scores of friends shared their memories of their son, an athlete, a scholar, and a kind-hearted young man who touched the lives of so many.
“His college roommates were interviewed and said he was a peacekeeper,” Holly Hubbard said. “He was the one always keeping everyone in check, as a lacrosse goalie, the one that gave everyone support on the field.”
Even through their tears, the Hubbards were able to smile at a photo of a Halloween costume their son wore, as a “tourist,” dressed to resemble his dad on their many adventures.
Through sports, including lacrosse, football and wrestling, and through REACH, a program he pursued with the Westhampton Presbyterian Church, the young man “was quick to make friends,” Hubbard said. “One girl told us that even though she’d only met him once, she’d never forget him.”
Cory, a 2010 graduate of Westhampton Beach High School, was a senior at Maryland University studying Kinesiology.
Friends were heartbroken at the tragic news. “Cory was always full of a never-ending energy,” said Joanna DeLeon. “He was blessed with a light that could shine for eternity. His smile made you smile and his laugh made you laugh. He brought joy to people’s lives and I will always remember him that way.”
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