Jan. 07--A community reeling from the loss of four young men in the prime of their lives laid the first to rest Wednesday.
Hundreds of people gathered at a suburban chapel for the funeral of Mori Weinstein, 21, of Wilmette, whose siblings described him during the service as "wise beyond his years."
Mourners who packed the chapel at Shalom Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, with more watching on TV monitors in an overflow room, celebrated the life of the young man described as fun, compassionate and a graceful athlete who had a knack for making friends.
Rabbi Andrea London, who officiated, said they were there not to offer platitudes or even understanding but just their love and support.
She said there is "no greater lament" than a young life cut short.
No mention was made of the circumstances of Weinstein's death. He was the third man whose remains were pulled from an icy lake in southern Wisconsin after he and three friends were found missing Sunday morning.
The search continued Wednesday for the fourth victim, who is presumed dead in the accident on Mill Lake, about 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee.
The buildup of ice on the lake hampered search efforts and limited access to the water. Searchers Wednesday morning primarily scoured the shore by foot, officials said.
All four men -- Weinstein; Christopher McQuillen, 21; Lanny Patrick Sack, 20; and the fourth man, still unidentified -- attended New Trier High School in Winnetka.
At Weinstein's funeral, his father, Fred, lovingly spoke of a ritual he and his son shared when Mori would leave to go out with friends.
"Be a good boy," his father would say.
"I am a good boy," Mori would respond, his father said.
The shock of the sudden deaths has not subsided for many from New Trier who grieved the loss of their own.
"It's such a tragic loss. It's hard to believe that they won't be around anymore," said Monique Boyd, who teaches glass art at New Trier and had both Weinstein and Sack in her class.
Weinstein was able to turn glass into stunning jewelry and goblets, Boyd said. He often returned to the school on college breaks, she said.
"He was just a very thoughtful and sensitive person, and that translated into his work," she recalled.
Sack, who also coached Boyd's son's travel baseball team, was a joy to have in class, she said.
"He had these beautiful blue eyes that would just light up," she said.
The men had been reported missing after a group of fellow friends who were also staying at a lake house near East Troy, Wis., about 95 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, awoke Sunday morning and discovered footprints in the snow leading to a boathouse. They spotted an overturned canoe on Mill Lake, which is part of the Lake Beulah chain of lakes.
Jason Roberts, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said wallets and cellphones were found on the lakeshore near where it appeared the men entered the water.
Authorities said they believe the group at the house had consumed alcohol prior to the accident. They said they are still investigating the circumstances leading up to the deaths.
As the search continues for the fourth victim, memorial services have also been announced for McQuillen and Sack.
The wake for McQuillen will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Donnellan Family Funeral Home in Skokie. A funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Parish in Winnetka.
A celebration of Sack's life is scheduled at 3 p.m. Saturday, followed by a reception from 4 to 6 p.m., both at Winnetka Congregational Church in Winnetka.
Sack's father, Steven, called his son the "bright in our lives" who "touched a lot of hearts." Sack's mother, Shelley, is a special education teacher at Hubbard Woods School in Winnetka, a District 36 official confirmed.
Freelance reporter Susan Berger contributed.
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