Honor student killed in crash called kind, compassionate

When Liam Declan Devine was growing up, he and his brother drew battle lines in their mother’s four-bedroom colonial — Liam’s decked out in New York Yankees blue, and his older brother Eamon’s in Red Sox drab.

“He wanted to go into sports journalism and analytics,” said Elizabeth Weinshel, mother of the 17-year-old Danbury teen killed in a fiery crash Friday. “He had the mind of a businessman and a sports team owner.”

Devine was killed after the family car he was driving skidded off Interstate 84 in Newtown, hit a tree and caught fire, police said.

Since then, his family and school officials at Immaculate High School in Danbury described Devine, an honor student in his senior year, as kind and compassionate, with a clever sense of humor.

“If you’re in the classroom, you know Liam is there because he's not quiet or reserved,” said Kathleen Maloney, Devine’s counselor at Immaculate.

In her mind, she pictures him with a quirky grin, messy hair and his tie loosened to the side.

“He’s with his good buddies and they’re laughing,” she said.

Mary R. Maloney, president of Immaculate High School, said Devine was a supportive friend.

“He wasn’t on the basketball team, but went to every game,” she said.

The Catholic school postponed its midterm exams until next week, but will continue to dismiss students early this week, as had been planned, Mary Maloney said.

They brought in 10 grief counselors and a priest to support students and teachers. Three therapy dogs and art therapy were available Tuesday in the cafeteria, she said.

“It’s not just the students,” Mary Maloney said. “There’s needs for these teachers as well. There’s that empty seat in the classroom.”

Devine’s mother said he could often be found playing basketball with his friends, both on the court and virtually on his Xbox.

“He was a beautiful, beautiful kid inside and out,” Weinshel said. “He was a very caring person with a lot of empathy — he would give you the shirt off his back.”

Devine was born July 11, 2002, she said. The day of his death, Jan. 17, 2020, uses the same digits, something Weinshel said her son would have found interesting and humorous.

Devine was killed after the 2016 Mazda6 Touring he was driving left the highway and crashed between westbound exits 8 and 9 around 10:24 p.m. Friday, State Police said.

The car left the roadway and went up the embankment, where it hit a large tree and became fully engulfed in flames, police said.

Devine was found dead inside the vehicle, which was registered to his mother, police said.

He didn’t play sports for the school, but was an expert on athletes and sports statistics, said Kathleen Maloney, Devine’s counselor.

Aside from the Yankees, he loved the New England Patriots and the Toronto Raptors, his obituary said.

As part of his community service hours, Devine volunteered with a Pop Warner sports league.

He also planned to manage Immaculate’s baseball team in the spring, Kathleen Maloney said.

“He was just the most affectionate, loving child,” his mother said.

Devine had been recognized as a gifted and talented student by the state by age 11 and enjoyed studying graphic design and forensics, according to his obituary.

“He loved graphic arts, very talented in graphic arts, very expressive in language arts, as well he wrote some beautiful reflections,” Mary Maloney said.

He had received merit awards for his academics and was on the honor roll and in the National Honors Society, she said. He was in Immaculate’s guitar ensemble.

A letter arrived Tuesday morning at the family’s home offering Devine a four-year scholarship to Louisiana State University, his mother said.

Beside his older brother, Eamon, and his mother, Devine is survived by his younger sister, Angela; his father, Timothy Devine; and stepfather David Weinshel, of Danbury, as well as his “loyal dog” Caesar, his obituary said.

Devine’s wake will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Green Funeral Home at 57 Main St. in Danbury. His burial will at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Gregory the Great Church in Danbury.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in Devine’s memory to Immaculate High School.

His mother recalled how on the night he was born, she saw a shooting star on the way to Danbury Hospital.

“That shooting star on the night he was born … his life was like that,” Weinshel said.

Green Funeral Home Liam Devine