Relatives, friends, mourners gather to lay to rest crash victim from Uxbridge
UXBRIDGE — Hundreds of students and teammates from the College of the Holy Cross Wednesday joined family members and friends to say an emotional final farewell to Grace Rett, the 20-yearold Holy Cross student athlete and Uxbridge native who was killed last week in a Florida crash.
A funeral Mass for Rett was held at St. Mary’s Church in Uxbridge where hundreds of mourners paid tribute to a woman, her sister, Brianne Rett, described as funny, strong, and passionate about living life to the fullest.
Rett died after a van carrying her Holy Cross rowing team collided with a pickup truck in Vero Beach on Jan. 15. Eleven others were injured, five remain hospitalized.
“Twenty years was not nearly enough for the amount of life Grace had,” Brianne said in a eulogy to her sister. “She was an amazing daughter and she did so many things that would make any parent proud, from setting records to, most importantly, being a caring person. Grace was the best sister anyone could have asked for. I cannot recall one fight we had because we’ve never had any. No one makes me laugh as much as Grace does. Although we were mostly silly, she was always ready to protect me.”
Rett grew up in Uxbridge and attended Our Lady of the Valley, a preschool through Grade 8 Catholic school in Uxbridge. She then attended Marianapolis Preparatory School, a private co-ed day and boarding school for grades 9-12 in Thompson, Conn., before enrolling at
Holy Cross. Many students and faculty members from OLV and Marianapolis attended yesterday’s funeral.
“As a family we had many laughs usually because of Grace,” her sister said. “Her inappropriate comments and jokes filled our home with endless laughter. Her lack of a filter made sure there was never a dull moment with anyone she talked to.”
Mourners began arriving at the church two hours before the start of the funeral. A separate space in the parish center was reserved for the overflow of mourners who steadily poured in, including hundreds of Holy Cross students, coaches and faculty members, many wearing jackets with the school colors of purple and white.
Many of the students arrived by bus from Worcester, hugging and consoling one another as they arrived. The church pews quickly filled up, forcing mourners to stand along the walls of the church. Rett’s rowing teammates took their seats at the front of the church around 9:45, followed by members of her family, including parents, Christopher and Mary Jo.
Rett’s casket was taken down the aisle as the Holy Cross Chapel Choir sang Amazing Grace. The pall was draped over the casket by her parents and grandparents.
In her eulogy, Brianne spoke of her sister’s strength and her love for Holy Cross where she was a sophomore English and psychology major and a member of the women’s rowing team.
Rett recently set a world record, rowing for 62 straight hours on an erg machine. She set the record for the Concept 2 longest continual row in 62 hours and three seconds. She rowed 382,293 meters (237.55 miles).
“If you know anything about Grace you know she was strong,” her sister said. “She would frequently tell me that pain is just a mindset. There is no one on earth who can truly embody this phrase. Grace may have had times of physical and mental pain , but you would never be able to tell. She would always be seen in tough times laughing, joking and dancing.”
“Physically, Grace was so strong,” she continued. “She loved going to Crossfit and working out at any possible moment. Her faith in God led her to get her favorite Bible verse tattooed to her arm – Philippians 4:13 – ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ I hope that one day this world can be as strong as Grace.”
Rett said as a young girl, her sister dreamed about attend Holy Cross.
“Grace loved to crew. She loved her coaches. She loved her teammates. She even loved every blister on her hands,” she said. “The amount of records and awards she earned may reflect talent and strength, but her passion could be seen in her eyes when the topic of her rowing, coaches and team come up. We always knew she bled purple since a young age. It is crazy to see the impact she made in a year and a half. It seems that she has touched so many people in the Holy Cross community.”
Quoting two of Grace’s friends, she said: “Grace was a type of person who loved you unconditionally. It’s didn’t matter if you hadn’t talked in a while and it didn’t matter if you had just fought about something. She loved and cherished every single being she came and contact with no matter what. This was one of her most inspiring qualities.”
“All of you have Grace in your hearts for different reasons and you can keep those memories close,” her sister said. “I miss you so much, buddy. You better be getting everyone in shape up there in Heaven and preparing an epic playlist for when I see you again. I love you buddy. Go in peace, Grace.”
“For many of us who have known and loved Grace, we’ve felt lost in a fog these last few days – ourselves disoriented, unable to decipher which way is up,” the Rev. Nicholas Desimone, pastor of St. Mary’s, said during the funeral service. “Even now that the worst has happened I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
“There’s nothing that saddens the heart of God more than death. God hates death. What God’s interested in is life,” said Desimone, a Holy Cross alumnus. “Jesus comes to the grave of Lazarus and calls him out of the tomb, proving to us that God’s power is greater than the power of death. It’s greater than our anguish. It’s greater than our despair. On that fateful day one week ago while we wept like Jesus at the death of Lazarus, Grace on the other hand, heard that voice of God calling her by her name and saying to her, ‘Grace come out.”
“In the second century, St. Irenaeus wrote that ‘the glory of God is a human being fully alive.’ And can there be any doubt that Grace, who we honor today, lived each moment of her 20 years of life, to the fullest,” Desimone said. “She was a standout student. A record-setting athlete. A gifted musician. A cherished daughter. A devoted sister. And a faith-filled believer. Grace lived life with intensity, passion and conviction and inspired others to do the same.”
“Grace was a force to be reckoned with and left a lasting impression on everyone in her path,” he added. “She believed, as her father told her time and time again, that her mission was to make the world a better place.”
At the end of the Mass, pallbearers carried the casket out of the church, and down the front walkway which was lined on both sides by Grace’s rowing teammates.
Grace’s family posted a message on the Mass program handed out at the beginning of the service, saying: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to all of you for your amazing support and constant prayers for our family. We would never have been able to get through these past days without the incredible love that has been shown to us. We have been blessed beyond measure to have had Grace Mason Rett in our lives for 20 years. She would want everyone to remember that life is short so live it to the fullest.”