Brendan Tevlin
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Oranges posthumously honored Brendan Tevlin as the 2015 Young Irishman of the Year during its 114th Anniversary Dinner at Mayfair Farms in West Orange on March 12.
Tevlin, whose family has long been involved with the Irish heritage organization, became the 65th recipient of the title, which recognizes men of Irish ancestry under the age of 35 who have demonstrated that they are of an outstanding character. Previous honorees include N.J. Gov. Richard Codey in 1979, local Assemblyman John McKeon in 1993 and N.J. Gov. Brendan Byrne — the first recipient — in 1951.
Though Tevlin was only 19 at the time of his murder, which occurred June 25, 2014, in West Orange, Friendly Sons President Owen McNany said he had already proved himself worthy of the award throughout his short life.
“Brendan was really a unique young man from a most unique family,” McNany told the West Orange Chronicle in a March 14 phone interview. “He was a great young man, and any parent would be proud to have such a son. Even though he was a very young man, he distinguished himself as a role model, a scholar, a mentor, an athlete, a very devout Catholic. He had all of those fine qualities we look for in a candidate for a Young Irishman.”
And McNany would know — he said his acquaintance with the Tevlin family dates back to when they all lived in Maplewood. He said Brendan Tevlin even played the bagpipes with his father and uncles at numerous Friendly Sons events throughout the years as part of the Essex County Shillelagh Pipes and Drums group. Had he lived longer, McNany said there is no doubt Tevlin would have accomplished great things and been named Young Irishman of the Year one day because of them.
But the Friendly Sons did not just honor Tevlin by posthumously bestowing the award upon him. According to McNany, the organization also donated $5,000 to the Brendan Patrick Tevlin ’13 Memorial Field Fund, which is raising money to revitalize Seton Hall Preparatory School’s lacrosse field and name it in Tevlin’s honor. The young man played on the lacrosse team when he was a student at SHP in West Orange.
Photo by Steve Ellmore
The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh of the Oranges not only posthumously awarded Brendan Tevlin the Young Irishman of the Year award on March 12, but the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh of Belmar also honored the young man with this banner at the annual West Orange St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15.
Matthew Cannizzo, SHP director of institutional advancement, said that the fund currently has a total of $397,000 in pledges and donations, and is in possession of $285,000 of that money. He said the fund’s goal is to reach $1 million. Anyone interested in making a contribution can visit www.shp.org/bpt.
The fact that the fund has already raised so much money since being established last summer demonstrates the gravity of Tevlin’s loss, Cannizzo said.
“We have received an outpouring of support from our own alumni and our own families here at the Prep, but also the West Orange community and the Irish community at large, which is really special,” Cannizzo told the Chronicle in a March 16 phone interview. “It shows the impact that Brendan had on people’s lives in his short life. And it shows how much people loved his family, too.”
Livingston residents Allison and Michael Tevlin also seemed very pleased when they were informed that their son was being honored and his fund benefited, McNany said. Indeed, in a letter to donors republished in the Friendly Sons’ event program, the Tevlins expressed gratitude to anyone willing to support their dream of paying tribute to their son’s legacy.
“The dollars we continue to raise with the support of people like you will help us realize our vision to build this beautiful field where athletes will thrive, fans will cheer, a sense of peace will be felt and Brendan’s life will be remembered and celebrated in spite of the horrible circumstances of his death,” Allison and Michael Tevlin wrote in the letter.
“We look forward to someday standing up on Brendan’s Field celebrating our success with you,” the letter read.
Yet the Tevlin fund was not the only charitable cause to benefit from the Friendly Sons’ Anniversary Dinner. McNany said the organization additionally donated approximately $2,000 to Project Children, a charity that brings together Catholic and Protestant children from religiously combative Northern Ireland on trips to the United States, and approximately $500 to the Irish Way Program, which grants scholarships to Irish-American high school students so they can study in Ireland. Those contributions are just the latest in a long history of donating to those nonprofits; in fact, McNany estimated that the Friendly Sons have given approximately $200,000 in the past 40 years that he has been involved.
Philanthropy has always been a paramount value to the Friendly Sons, according to Vice President Bob Williams. In a March 13 phone interview with the Chronicle, Williams said those of Irish heritage in particular have a lot to be thankful for after their ancestors overcame great obstacles to settle in the United States. Because of that, he said, it is important to give back.
“The Irish had a very difficult time when they came in, like many immigrants,” Williams said. “They struggled, but they had many achievements. But it is very important to know that the achievements have been accomplished so people could give back to the community and help others. And we celebrate the achievements as well as the ability to contribute back.”
While Tevlin might not have lived long enough to accomplish all of his goals, Williams said he undoubtedly made a lasting impact on all who knew him during his short time on Earth. As a result, he said Tevlin will forever be remembered as an admirable Young Irishman.
“He was a very special person who did everything right,” Williams said. “He was going to be a very special person as he got older. He just did not get the chance to fulfill his dreams.”
The three men charged with Tevlin’s robbery and murder — Ali Muhammad Brown, 30, of Seattle; Jeremy Villagran, 20, of West Orange; and Eric Williams, 19, of West Orange — have pleaded not guilty, though Brown said in police interviews that he shot Tevlin in vengeance for U.S. involvement in the Middle East. Williams was released on $500,000 bail Jan. 23. The investigation into the identity of a fourth suspect is ongoing.