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18-year-old former Saint Joseph high school football player dies in car crash

MONTVALE — Cyrenius "Cy" Menard, an 18-year-old former Saint Joseph Regional High School football player known for lighting up a room with his smile, died Friday in a car accident, a school official confirmed.

Menard graduated from Saint Joseph last spring and then enrolled for a semester at St. Thomas More School in Connecticut. He enrolled at Sacred Heart University in January and “was excelling as a student and football player this spring on their campus, just as he did here with us,” according to a Facebook post by St. Thomas More School.

Dan Marangi, the head football coach and interim athletic director at St. Joseph, said that Menard, who played defensive tackle, was a tremendous young man with "a smile that would light up a room." Menard was outgoing and was always there for someone having a bad day.

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"I think everyone that would meet him or be around him could see how genuine and caring he could be," said Marangi, who confirmed that Menard died in a car accident Friday. "He had a personality that everyone gravitated toward. We’re here for his family now for whatever they need. They can lean on us."

A Twitter post by Saint Joseph Regional High School said that Menard’s "positive attitude was infectious and he was a pleasure to be around." The school officials also asked the community to keep his family, including brother Kesnel, a graduate from 2008, in their prayers.

Stephanie Noda is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: noda@northjersey.com

Twitter: @snoda11

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Former Saint Joseph football player dies in car crash