Marques Weekly touched a lot of lives with his participation in football, track and field and drama at Kentridge High School.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
So when word spread that Weekly, 19, of Kent, had drowned Sunday at Lake Tapps in Pierce County, the news hit the campus hard, even during summer recess and one year after his graduation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“He was a tremendous kid,” said Kentridge football coach Marty Osborn during a phone interview. “It’s so sad whenever a young kid dies. His loss will be felt throughout the community.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
East Pierce Fire and Rescue dive teams were called to Lake Tapps North County Park at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday for a report of a water rescue. Divers found Weekly approximately 15 minutes after crews arrived. He was transported by boat to a waiting medical unit where he was treated and later transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup. Weekly died Sunday night at the hospital, according to Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ed Troyer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Weekly transferred to Kentridge from Stadium High School in Tacoma his junior year. He played running back and defensive back. He was a sprinter in track.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“He’d always walk down the hall with a big smile,” Osborn said. “He was a very friendly type of kid. He was the kind of kid that everybody loved.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Friends and family of Weekly had a candlelight vigil for him Tuesday night at Kentridge. They started at the theater and moved down to the football field and circled the track to mourn his loss.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The vigil also served as a fundraiser to help Weekly’s family cover the funeral expenses. Participants were asked to make a donation as they picked up a candle for the vigil.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n