Services Monday For Two Morris County Teens Who Died New Year's

MENDHAM, NJ - Mendham's Will Thomas, 19, died in the final hours of New Year's Eve while 18-year-old Matt LaRosa passed away New Year's Day and on Monday friends, family, teachers and teammates will have to say goodbye.

A Funeral Service for LaRosa will be held at St. Joseph Church, Mendham on Monday at 10:30 a.m. , followed by a private family interment to follow at Hilltop Cemetery. Visitation for Thomas will be held at Bailey Funeral Home, 8 Hilltop Road on Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m..

Thomas was born in Colorado but called Mendham home and was a member of the West Morris Mendham class of 2019. According to his family, it was through William they learned about the Autism community and tried to live a life of compassion towards people who think and behave differently.

"He tackled his differences head on but still struggled…like we all do. How do you make a teenager believe that there is no such thing as normal? In life's journey, all you can do is your best," they wrote in his obituary. "Throughout his short life, Will always loved with a pure heart and did the very best he could."

LaRosa was a senior at West Morris Mendham High School. He was an honors student and a member of the National Honor Society. He was an accomplished lacrosse player having spent years playing for Patriot Elite Lacrosse and multiple years on the Mendham High School Varsity Lacrosse team where he was proud to be named a Captain of the team, according to the obituary provided by the Bailey Funeral Home.

The Morris Sussex Sports group posted they were saddened to report that Mendham High School unexpectedly lost LaRosa.

"Matthew was also a member of the Morris-Sussex sports community as the leader and captain of the Minuteman lacrosse team," they posted to Facebook. "We are calling on the community help support Matt's family, classmates, teammates, teachers and school officials as they deal with their tragic loss."

On Friday, the West Morris Regional School District postponed all levels of basketball in memory of LaRosa and Thomas.

Districts from around New Jersey, including Delbarton, Caldwell, Mountain Lakes and West Morris Central also shared their condolences alongside Morris Catholic on social media asking that the teens and their families remain in their prayers.

On Saturday in Vernon, the hockey fans showed their support by wearing yellow in support of the Minutemen and it was shared by Morris Sussex Sports.

In Dover, they will wear blue in support of Mendham, as posted by Morris Sussex Sports.

And in Mendham, where the crowd was a sea of blue Saturday, the Mendham Boys Basketball team posted a short video from Morris Sussex Sports of what they described as Jack Journeycake helping the student body heal.

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