Aug. 19, 2016
By Rod Williamson
The days following the tragic plane crash that took the life of former Vanderbilt baseball captain Jason Farese, his wife and two other married couples have not lessened the heartache.
In fact, as the shock has worn off, the grief and anguish have intensified for many. This accident instantly created 11 orphans – yes, you read that right — between the three couples and left voids in the hearts of so many more.
Dr. Farese, just 41 years old, and his wife and fellow dentist, Dr. Lea Farese, had a thriving dentistry practice in Oxford, Miss. Along with fellow dentists Dr. Michael Perry and Dr. Austin Poole and their wives, the six were returning from a dental conference in Florida when their small plane went down short of the runway while trying to make an emergency landing in Tuscaloosa last Sunday.
It doesn’t seem fair and it isn’t. Hearts are heavy in the Oxford area, where the six were active community citizens and throughout Commodore Nation, where Jason is fondly and rightfully remembered as a good baseball player and better person.
“What a remarkable young man,” recalls Garry Gibson, a former Vanderbilt athletic academic counselor now at Texas A & M. “I remember him as a kind, easy-going, always-smiling guy, playing right field and batting over .300. He spent many days in my office just stopping by to chat. I even wrote a letter of recommendation for his admission to dental school.”
Jason was a leader on the 1997 Commodore team and years later shared his knack for baseball as a Little League coach, recently coaching his son’s Under-10 team to a national championship. There are numerous stories being shared about the generosity of the three families and how the six had made the world just a little bit better.
Mark Jefcoat, a starting linebacker at Vanderbilt of the same vintage and like Jason a Mississippi native, has been a close friend for 22 years. He was in Jason’s wedding party.
“We attended every Ole Miss-Vanderbilt football game with a group of former Vandy guys,” Mark says, his voice occasionally cracking with emotion. “And Jason always headed it up. People who knew him will talk about his competitiveness – his fiery red hair – but being as close as we were the thing I loved about him was his passion. He was the most passionate person I’ve ever known. Not just about sports; he was passionate about being a father, passionate about academics. Whatever he did, he was going after it.”
Another close friend was former Vandy pitcher Matt McDonnough, who is part of the group that has stayed close.
“Jason changed a lot of lives including mine,” Matt says. “He had a ‘no-limitations’ approach to life. At first we thought it seemed outlandish but everything was possible to him and it rubbed off on me. My wife once said that when she’s around Jason he’s in his own world and it’s a fun place to be. He leaves a significant void.”
Despite coming from a family of Ole Miss attorneys, Jason was proud of his Commodore pedigree. He told people that his Vanderbilt education gave him an advantage in dental school. His son attends Tim Corbin’s summer camp. He was part of a group that cooked crawfish for our baseball team when it played in Oxford a few years ago. He was one of those guys that brightened your day simply by showing up.
Jason’s friends are determined to keep his memory alive, especially with the children.
“We are not going to let Luke grow up without knowing his dad was a helluva ball player and man,” Jeff vows.
Take some time to send good thoughts in the direction of the three Farese kids: Luke, seven year old Alexa and Layla, just five. And don’t forget the five Poole children and three Perry youngsters. If the tables were reversed they wouldn’t forget yours.
Funeral service for the Fareses will be held Sunday at 3 pm at the Oxford University Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m.
(Editor’s Note: Jason Farese is pictured in the back row, second from the left, with his national champion youth team in the cover photo.)
