A memorial will be held in honor of Trevor Boehm on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Alice S. Millar Chapel, to give people “an opportunity to come together and say their goodbyes,” University Chaplain Timothy Stevens said Thursday.
Boehm had been missing for 11 days before his body was found in Lake Michigan on Sunday and identified the next day.
A vigil, which had been planned for several days, took place on Monday night, hours after he was confirmed dead. For Stevens, the memorial is a chance for something more thoroughly planned.
“It’s just a memorial service to celebrate his life and to express the grief that everyone feels,” he said. “It will give people an opportunity to come together and say their goodbyes, pay their respects. It’s a way to support one another in a time of loss.”
Stevens added that the presence of Boehm’s fellow students at Monday night’s vigil meant a lot to his parents.
“His parents, one thing they appreciated about the vigil was the opportunity to talk to students who knew Trevor, because they’re eager to know what his life at Northwestern was like and to have that connection with his friends here,” he said.
According to Stevens, the ceremony will include music, a reading by some of Boehm’s classmates in the theater department. Anyone who wants to speak about Boehm will be given the opportunity to do so. The event is open to all students.
“We’re doing this for the family, but also for the extended family at Northwestern,” Stevens said.