Brendan Gormley, who died Friday in a fire at his home, was a brilliant student with a unique sense of humor.
The 24-year-old was eccentric, voted "Most Unique" of his 2005 Buena Regional High School class. And his love....Continue Reading
Buena Vista Township fire victim's friends reach out to family
Posted: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 9:12 pm | Updated: 12:01 am, Thu Dec 8, 2011.
for video games led him to start developing his own, and he dreamed of becoming a successful designer.
The Buena Vista Township man also was an animal lover, which apparently caused him to run into his burning home Friday night - he wanted to save his cat.
He never returned. The fire consumed his Tereck Road house while he was still inside, and the flames kept rescuers from saving him.
A benefit in his memory will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at The Rail on Route 50 in Richland. Tickets are $10, a band and DJ will perform and an auction will be held, with all proceeds benefiting Gormley's family.
Gormley's parents, James Gormley and Pauline Steinbacher, were home when the fire started about 6:40 p.m., but they escaped with minor injuries. The home was completely destroyed, and they have been staying at the local EconoLodge hotel.
Gormley's close friends were there Friday night to grieve with his family, and they woke up the next day determined to remember their lost friend and help his family.
They already have set up a website for donations, www.thegormleyfund.com, an email, gormleyfund@gmail.com, and a TD Bank account named "Gormley Fund" for donations.
Firefighters from a dozen local fire companies spent more than four hours dousing the flames, which were so furious they prevented rescue workers from entering on ladders to look for Gormley. Apparently there were thousands of books inside that fueled the fire.
State Police spokesman Christopher Kay said an exact cause has not yet been found. Investigators deemed it accidental.
Gormley had a younger brother, Colin, and a sister, Katrina Steinbacher. He graduated third in his class from Buena Regional, and then graduated summa*censored*laude from DePaul University with a degree in computer and video game design.
He had thirteen cousins, including one that was a quadriplegic Gormley would care for.
He also had several friends who knew him since grade school and who had memories of his unique habits and sense of humor.
"He didn't follow the standards that most people followed to be normal, but in a good way," said friend Chris Miller,cq 25, of Buena Vista.
"He would never purposely insult anyone," said Nick Cocca, 24, a fellow Buena graduate who now lives in Willow Grove, Pa. "He was so kind."
But he wasn't afraid to say what he thought.
"Brendan was probably the most honest person I ever met," said John Barber, 24, of Buena Vista.
Peter Harry, 21, of Milmay, was friends with Colin Gormley and said hanging out with Brendan at their house was always a great experience.
He called him "ridiculously smart," making the advanced placement students look like dim-wits. He also said he was "extremely hilarious."
"You had to get his sense of humor," he said.
Sal Acilio, 24, of Richland, also knew Gormley well. They played a lot of video games together, and he said Gormley's favorites were strategy and role playing games.
"He was very bright," he said, "and had an energetic personality."
Gormley's funeral is scheduled Saturday at 1 p.m. at Boakes Funeral Home on Main Street in Mays Landing. His burial will be at Friendship Cemetery in Buena Borough.
Contact Lee Procida: 609-457-8707 LProcida@pressofac.com
