‘He was showing us how to live’: Hundreds gather for funeral of Providence Day student

When 17-year-old Deven Sawyer drove to the Providence Day School prom a few months ago, his car was completely filled with people, his friend Nathaniel Friedman said.

“Everyone not only knew that he was the safest driver, but also that he was the nicest, most un-criticizeable person in the school,” he said.

Hundreds of people heard stories about Deven's friendship and moral compass during his funeral at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte Tuesday.

He died June 23, six days after he was injured in a bus crash during a school trip to Argentina. Nine classmates and two Providence Day faculty members were involved in the crash, which also killed one person from Argentina.

Nathaniel said he and Deven were friends almost their entire lives. Even when Deven temporarily annoyed his friends by being such a good person, Nathaniel said, they knew he was doing the right thing.

At one point during high school, Deven and his friends went to laser tag, and an employee accidentally gave them a free round.

Knowing what might happen, Nathaniel said he and the other boys urged Deven not to say anything. But right before the game, he walked over anyway, told the employee what had happened and asked if it was OK to play.

“Not surprisingly, the employee didn’t care, but Deven felt better knowing that he had tried,” Nathaniel said.

While lots of high schoolers are worried about social status, classmate Joe Kerrigan said, Deven never did. He smiled at everyone in the hallways out of genuine friendliness, he said.

Deven’s freshman English teacher and adviser Lee Tappy said the Providence Day faculty agreed. Deven was a friendly presence on campus, always quick to say hello.

During the fall of his sophomore year, Deven was hospitalized for a month with a stroke.

When Tappy brought the rest of Deven’s advisory group to the hospital for a visit, he said he was worried Deven would be sad or self-conscious.

He was wrong. Even though he was still learning how to walk again, Tappy said, Deven made his way to the table for pizza and helped the rest of the group feel comfortable.

Looking back, Tappy said he realized Deven was a little bit different after he recovered from the stroke.

“(He had) a peace, a calmness, an understanding,” he said. “It was like he knew something that we didn’t know.”

In the weeks since Deven’s death, Tappy said, he’s leaned on the example Deven set after his stroke.

“He was showing us how to live,” Tappy said.

He showed how to continue being a good person when life is hard, Tappy said.

In honor of Deven, his family is raising money for an annual award for a rising Providence Day senior who exemplifies Deven’s character and gentle spirit. Donations can be made to the Deven Sawyer Memorial Fund through the school at 5800 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270.

This story was originally published July 3, 2018 at 12:27 PM.