Part-time College student Andrew Lane, 24, passed away Saturday in Staunton, Va. after battling Duchenne muscular dystrophy since the age of 3.
Lane is survived by his mother Elizabeth, father John, an older brother, Edward, and an older sister, Mary.
Interim Dean of Students Allen Groves said the University extends its condolences to Lane's family.
"The loss of a young life is particularly tragic because it's someone who has not yet had the chance to live out their potential," Groves said. "Our thoughts are very much with Andrew's family at this difficult time."
Lane was accepted as a full-time University student; however, he opted to retain part-time degree-seeking status because of his illness. A group of volunteers from Staunton drove Lane to the University twice a week, his mother, said.
According to his mother, Lane had hoped to major in math or physics but his disease prevented him from participating in laboratory exercises. Instead, he took a liking to art history, Russian history, astronomy and geology.
Second-year College student Ryan Bugas, a friend of Lane, noted that he was impressed by Lane's desire to learn.
"He couldn't take the tests," Bugas said. "He wasn't always able to do all the stuff that normal students could do, but his willingness to go and learn for the sake of learning definitely made him stand out."
Lane also enjoyed reading and word puzzles, such as Scrabble.
"He had one of the strongest vocabularies out of everyone I ever met," Bugas said. "He really enjoyed things that made him think."
Bugas added that Lane adamantly followed University sports, which was a topic the two of them regularly discussed.
Family members and close friends said Lane will also be remembered for his kindness.
"He always struck me as very kind, considerate and understanding," second-year College student Richard McPherson said.
Lane's mother said her son was "bright, patient, witty and slow to complain," adding "you name a good quality and I think he had it."
Bugas expressed a similar sentiment.
"Something that I'll always remember was how genuine he was as a person," Bugas said. "He really did have a big heart. He always came to class with a smile on his face."
Lane's mother said her son maintained a positive attitude throughout his battle with muscular dystrophy, despite facing challenges such as adapting to life in a wheelchair and undergoing a spinal fusion operation.
"He really hardly ever talked about his disease," Elizabeth Lane said. "He didn't dwell on it ... he soldiered on."
Family and friends all agreed that Lane was a role model for those who knew him.
"He seems to have been an inspiration to a lot of people from the way he conducted himself," his mother said. "He was an inspiration and lesson in courageous living to all those fortunate enough to know him."
Read More
Winsome Earle-Sears talks higher education in first U.Va. event of the campaign
By Ford McCracken | 15 hours agoA Jamaican immigrant and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Earle-Sears is the first female lieutenant governor of Virginia,
U.Va.'s Earth Day Eco-Fair 2025 spotlights sustainability advocacy
By Leigh Bailey | 16 hours agoStudents from Contracted Independent Organizations and University Office of Sustainability leadership programs each shared their unique perspectives about sustainability advocacy on Grounds.
Student Council votes to relocate Hereford orchard and basketball hoop
By Lauren Seeliger | YesterdayStudent Council passed a resolution Tuesday to relocate the orchard and basketball hoop of Hereford Residential College due to construction in the surrounding area.
