Teen remembered for his great smile

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ROARING SPRING "Brent's beaming smile was always there," family friend Karen Lewis said less than one week after 18-year-old Brenton Croll died at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where the Roaring Spring native was enrolled in the nursing program.

Lewis' youngest son was friends with Croll, and the two families became close as well.

"He lit up a room," she said. "He was a beam of light in a lot of people's lives. He always made you feel like you were important to him."

Lewis of Roaring Spring said an out-of-town sister remembered Croll, despite only meeting the young man for a couple of minutes.

"He was very memorable," she said.

Aubree Miller of Altoona worked with Croll for several months at the Hollister clothing store in Logan Valley Mall. She said her first impression of the teen was his friendly, kind personality.

Croll had only worked during breaks and vacation once he began college last fall, and Miller said it was hard to grasp the news of his death.

"At first, I was just sort of in shock. He was too young to go," she said.

Grief counselors have been on hand at Central High School in Martinsburg to help students cope with Croll's passing. Local churches also have offered their help, Central Principal Dave Crumrine said.

"We're trying to handle things the best we can to help the kids," he said. "The whole thing is just a tragedy."

Crumrine said Croll, who graduated from Central last year, was well-liked by teachers and peers.

"He always had a smile on his face," he said. "He had a promising future. He was a great young man."

Camden Gentry knew Croll since their days together at Spring Cove Middle School. They were such good friends that they roomed together at IUP.

"Brent and I were always together," Gentry said. "It's hard to say what I'll miss most about him because we shared so much. We shaped each other's lives completely."

Croll's aunt Deborah Kay Moses-Claar of Claysburg said her nephew loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter, fisherman, snowboarder and skier. He also enjoyed a wide variety of sports, especially volleyball, baseball, football and ultimate Frisbee and had recently begun playing golf. He also had an affinity for music, especially playing the guitar.

"Brenton was a very loving, warm-hearted person who always brought a smile to the faces of his family and friends," Moses-Claar said. "He always made time for the special people in his life and never left without telling you he loved you."

She described Croll as laid-back, hard-working and friendly.

Croll's grandmother and uncle Moses-Claar's husband passed away within two weeks of each other in December.

"Brent was very sentimental," Moses-Claar said. "He told his mom that he was having a hard time dealing with the losses. My husband said he had never met a kid like Brent. My husband would be just heartbroken if he was here."

Croll's closest bond was to his mother, Tammy (Butler) Croll, Moses-Claar said.

"They could be sitting in a room and be laughing at something and no one else knew what they were laughing at," she said. "They almost knew what the other one was thinking. Words didn't need to be spoken. He was her best friend, not just her son."

Croll was the only child of Tammy and her husband, Timothy.

Moses-Claar said it is painful to imagine what more her nephew could have offered the world, especially with his bright, cheerful demeanor and his desire to help people.

"I'll miss his smile forever."

Mirror Staff Writer Wendy McCardle is at 946-7520.