Jeffrey Luong (’11, DB)

Alumnus and Phi Delta Theta brother passes away on Oct. 10, 2015 from injuries suffered in an aircraft crash.

Jeffrey Luong (’11, DB) “had a larger than life personality,” says Embry-Riddle student and Phi Delta Theta brother Douglas Carcamo-Castro. “He leaves a lasting impact on all of those who knew him.”

Luong, 27, was a resident of Port Orange, Fla. He died of injuries suffered in an aircraft crash in Volusia County, Fla. Two of his fellow fraternity brothers, Mark Michael Repanshek Jr. (’11, DB), the pilot, and Jarrett Bruckner (’13, DB), another passenger, were injured but survived.

Luong earned a B.S. in Aviation Maintenance with a minor in Aviation Safety from Embry-Riddle. As a student, he was active in multiple organizations, including the campus radio station WIKD 102.5 FM, Touch-N-Go Productions, the First Generation Student Association, Broken Arrow Scenario Club, Jeep & 4X4 Club and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

“The hearts of the entire Embry-Riddle community are with the family and friends of this young man,” says Interim University President John R. Watret. “It deeply saddens us to lose one of our own, and we send strength to those recovering.”

More than 400 people attended an Oct. 13 memorial service, hosted by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity at the Spirit Rock on the Daytona Beach Campus. Following a time of remembrance and storytelling, attendees had the opportunity to light candles in Luong’s honor.

The candles were arranged to spell out, “In Coelo Quies Est.” “It means ‘In Heaven there is rest,’” says Carcamo-Castro. “It’s a saying that we hold very close to our hearts in our fraternity.”

“We were touched to see so many people from Embry-Riddle and elsewhere come out to the memorial to support Mark, Jarrett, and Jeff’s family, as well as to remember the life of our amazing brother,” says Embry-Riddle’s Phi Delta Theta Chapter President Andres Martinez. “It’s hard on all of us as we mourn, but we lean on each other and move forward, just like Jeff would have wanted us to.”

More Memorials

Embry-Riddle pays tribute to our Eagles who have passed. Deaths are posted at alumni.erau.edu/passings on a regular basis, and are recorded as they are received/reported to us. To memorialize a classmate, email a copy of the obituary to eralumni@erau.edu.