ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Two Middleburg families are gripping each other for strength, and on Monday night, they were surrounded by prayer after the heartbreaking loss of their two boys.
Luke Kennedy, 16, and Parker Rowley, 17, are being remembered as inseparable friends. On Friday, they were in a crash that involved a pickup truck on State Road 16. The accident killed Rowley on impact. Kennedy was in a hospital on life support for two days before he passed away.
Monday night, members of their school -- St. Johns Classical Academy -- honored their lives with a candlelight vigil. One by one, classmates and teachers shared the lasting impact and trail of laughter the two boys left behind.
“They were amazing people and always so goofy. Their smiles and laughter were contagious,” said Lauren Sawyer.
It’s been a heartbreaking couple of days for the people that cared for and loved Parker Rowley (17) and Luke Kennedy (16).
— Kelly Wiley (@KellyWileyNews) October 12, 2020
The two best friends died in car crash Friday.
THIS is the community that showed up to honor them today. pic.twitter.com/fHUAruw9bS
“They always knew how to make everyone laugh and smile, like if you were having the worst day, you can just look to Luke or Parker and they would cheer you up,” said Abby Galenko, a junior.
The boys had been inseparable since the day they met seven years ago. Their birthdays -- just a day apart. And their last minutes -- spent together.
As written online on a GoFundMe page setup to help the family, “Where there was one, there was the other. Best friends. They loved like brothers, fought like an old married couple, but at the end of the day, they were always there for each other.”
The families will be holding funeral services together.