OXFORD, Mich. (WWJ) – Oxford community members gathered Thursday night to mourn the loss of Justin Shilling, the 17-year-old student who died on Dec. 1, a day after the Oxford High School shooting that claimed the lives of three of his classmates.
Shilling, a member of the Oxford Wildcats bowling and golf teams, has been described as an outgoing, thoughtful young man with a bright smile.
Those in attendance at Thursday's memorial at Boulder Pointe Golf Club were offered a lapel pin and a golf ball that said "Justin Shilling. Be a hero. Give the gift of life," according to a story from the Detroit Free Press.
Give the gift of life – that's exactly what Shilling did when his was tragically taken last week.
Shilling's family announced that he became an organ donor, giving organs to Gift of Life, an organization that recovers thousands of organs in efforts to save others' lives.
"Justin gave the gift of life to others. Justin donated organs. Today, many people live because of his love, because of the love of his family, because of his gift of live, many lives were saved because of that recent heroic act."
More information on the organization, including how to register, can be found on the Gift of Life website.
Father Michael Goddard – the chaplain at McLaren Oakland Hospital who met with Shilling's parents as he was brought to the hospital – opened the memorial, which was live-streamed at the family's request, with a reading:
"Remember me. To the living, I am gone. To the sorrowful I will never return. To the angry, I was cheated," he said.
"But to the happy, I am at peace. To the faithful, I have never left. I cannot be seen, but I can be heard. So as you stand upon a shore gazing upon a beautiful sea, remember me. As you look in awe at the mighty forest and its grand majesty, remember me. Remember me in your heart, your thoughts, your memories of the times we loved, the times we cried, maybe the times we fought. The times we laughed. If you always think of me, I will never be gone."
