John W. Petrella Jr. — pictured at 10 years old with his father (above and at far left) — loved riding dirt bikes and “chillin’” with friends. John Jr. passed away at 16 years old (left).

John W. Petrella Jr.’s memory will live on through scholarship

BY JENNIFER DOME

Staff Writer

MILLSTONE — Following a shocking incident, the Petrella family discovered the true meaning of community.

After the death of their son and brother — John W. Petrella Jr. — John, Shirley, Corinne and Brittany Petrella said they were overwhelmed by the support they had from their neighbors.

"This community has made it known that we’re all here for each other," Shirley said.

The events surrounding John Jr.’s death are unsettled and unsettling. According to John, when his son was found dead at about 4 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the family’s Old Oak Court home, officials first determined that the death was self-inflicted.

But John and Shirley believe the death was an accident — a Halloween prank gone awry or an experiment with asphyxiation. Police continue to investigate the incident. Just last Friday, officials took the family’s computer to search for clues.

"He did not think this through. It was an impulse," his mother said.

John Jr. had gone out to lunch with his mother at 1 p.m. that day. And at about 2 p.m. he made plans to go dirt biking with his friend, Frank Cerankowski.

According to his father, John Jr. did not leave a note behind and he hadn’t argued with anyone that day.

"It will always be unanswered," John said about the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.

One thing the Petrellas do know is their son was loved, and he is missed dearly.

"He loved his friends; his friends were his main life," Shirley said.

Gathered in the kitchen of the Petrellas’ home Monday evening, a collection of John Jr.’s friends and siblings talked about their memories together. Although John Jr. was 16 years old and a junior at Allentown High School, he had friends of all different ages.

Marilyn Sapio, 16, also a junior at AHS, said he hung out with people because of their common interests. Cerankowski, 18, and an AHS graduate, said that besides dirt biking, John Jr. liked skateboarding and fishing. He loved bands such as 311, Sublime and Incubus, enjoyed paintball and playing on his computer or Sony PlayStation.

"We hung out, we talked, we laughed," Sapio said.

Corinne, John Jr.’s older sister who’s 17 and a senior at AHS, said her brother loved to walk. She and Sapio commented on how he walked from the family’s home to Sapio’s home, located close to the Jackson outlets on Route 537.

Although he died before he was able to get a driver’s license, John Jr. loved cars. He often talked about owning a Honda Civic with a spoiler and doors that opened overhead, Corinne said.

"He was going to revamp the whole thing," Shirley said about her son’s plans for his future vehicle.

Many of John Jr.’s friends have come together to help raise funds for a scholarship the Petrellas set up in their son’s memory. The first fund-raising event will be a battle of local bands on Nov. 29. Shirley said the time and place are to be announced.

And a skateboarding friend of John Jr.’s, Arjun Shah, 14, a freshman at AHS, has put together an event at the Incline Club Skatepark in Lakewood with the help of John Jr.’s other friends.

Shirley said her son admired Shah’s skateboarding skills, often calling him "The Bomb."

"He used to say ‘I wish I could do what he does,’ " Shirley said.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 6, $5 of the $15 admission fee collected at the skate park will go toward the scholarship fund. A skateboard and bike demonstration will take place between 2-3 p.m. with Shah, the Seed Skateboard Team, Scotty Cramner and friends, and others performing.

Prizes, including a bicycle purchased by the Petrellas, will be raffled off and food will be available for sale. All the proceeds from the raffles and food will go toward the scholarship fund as well.

The Petrellas said they hope the fund, called the John W. Petrella Jr. Scholarship Fund for Struggling Students, is something that will last forever.

According to information provided to the Millstone School District and the Upper Freehold Regional School District, the fund was set up to provide "academic assistance, tutoring and/or counseling to students who find school too challenging, boring or simply resist authority."

The Petrellas said that they thank their friend, James R. Fisher, for helping to set up the fund.

John Jr. was just never one who loved school, his friends and family said.

"His favorite subject was dismissal," Shah joked.

But as Cerankowski said, once John Jr. made his mind up to do something, he followed through with whatever it was — from building skateboard ramps to playing a joke on someone.

"John was going to make it John’s way," Shirley said.

John Jr. had plans to attend Brookdale Community College after graduation because that’s where his friends were, his mother said.

"John was out for the laughs and out for the fun," she said. "He said he just wanted to chill out with his friends and have fun."

A former principal at the township middle school sent the Petrellas a letter, expressing her sympathy and mentioning kind things about their son, the Petrellas said. And, after students at AHS wrote messages on a wall in memory of John Jr., the large pieces of Sheetrock were brought to the Petrellas’ home as a keepsake.

"John was feisty and a handful, but he had a good heart and a good soul," Shirley said.

Photographs show John with his arms around Corinne and his younger sister, Brittany, 14. Shirley said he often took pictures of himself with a camera, rather than posing for a picture, and always had a fun smirk or a wide smile on his face. That smile, and the way he mowed the lawn with one hand while waving with the other, is something many people have mentioned to the Petrellas since his death.

"He meant a lot to us, and he meant a lot to others I didn’t even know he knew," his mother said.

People waited in line for more than two hours to greet the Petrellas at the wake held Oct. 20. Friends and neighbors are still bringing over food, John said.

"We can’t thank everybody enough," Shirley said. "It’s just amazing. It touches us so much.

John said he wants the community to know that their door is always open — whether someone wants to look at pictures of John Jr. or share a story with the family.

While the family believes John Jr.’s death was an accident and not something he did intentionally, John said they want young people to know that if they are having problems, they should reach out to someone and talk.

"There really was no reason," Shirley said about her son’s death. "We’re all left with questions.

"He packed a lot of life into his 16 years," his father said.

For information about the skate park event, contact Arjun or Lipica Shah at (609) 259-7139 or Ashley Toms at (732) 446-0790.

Memorial donations toward the John W. Petrella Jr. Scholarship Fund for Struggling Students may be mailed to PNC Bank, 591 Route 33 and Millstone Road, Englishtown, NJ 07726.