JERSEY SHORE – A community visitation is scheduled Sunday for the Jersey Shore Area High School football player who died Friday.
The event, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Bald Birds Brewing Co. on Shaffer Lane in Jersey Shore, is for the community to come together in fellowship, according to the obituary for Maxwell Maitland Engle posted by the Frederick B. Welker Funeral Home.
Engle, 17, collapsed near the end of the Sept. 8 Bulldogs game at Selinsgrove and was transported to Geisinger Medical Center near Danville.
He died there from an intracranial hemorrhage as the result of blunt force head trauma, Montour County Coroner Scott Lynn said.
The following is taken from his obituary:
“Max was a ray of light for his family and valued togetherness and love. He was a loving son and brother, proud uncle, and loyal friend. Max was adventurous and inquisitive.
“He was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, hiking and especially fishing, just to name a few. He enjoyed an eclectic array of music which included Willie Nelson and Tyler Childers, along with many others which led to his devotion to learning to play the guitar.
“Growing up, Max enjoyed playing many sports but had a special place in his heart for football. He loved representing his community on the field.
“Max loved sitting around the campfire with family and friends pondering the universe, or just simply listening to good music and sharing old stories.
“Max had amazing wit and a great sense for timely comedic comments which were always followed up by his iconic smirk. He always lived in the moment, had a positive outlook on life, and strived for greatness and adventure.
“We know he will continue to do so on the rest of his journey.”
His survivors include his parents, Joshua and Heather Engle, and a sister, Maddy (Travis) Eiswerth.
In lieu of flowers, Max’s family suggest contributions in his name be made to Caleb Latimer and his family or a charity of their choice. Latimer is a Jersey Shore student battling leukemia.
The community had rallied around Engle, a senior defensive lineman whose uniform number was 4.
That outpouring of support extended beyond Jersey Shore on Thursday by people wearing the school color, orange.
The Thompson Street Stadium was packed Monday with fans wearing orange when Jersey Shore hosted Shikellamy in their first game since Engle collapsed. The Bulldogs won 61-12.
The players carried Engle’s uniform jersey onto the field. A moment of silence was observed after district Superintendent Brian Ulmer thanked those in attendance for coming out to honor Engle and his family.
The district reported on its Facebook page more than $6,000 was raised at the game that will be shared with the Engle and Latimer families.
“What an amazing community to be part of,” high school principal Justin Armbruster wrote. “If there’s a way through this, it is together.”
Nearly $60,000 had been raised as of Tuesday evening through a GoFundMe page for the Engle family.
