Miami Student

Issue date: 8/21/07 Section: Front Page

Jason Madachy

Jason Madachy lived his life helping others: The Miami University May graduate founded the Phi Delta Epsilon medical fraternity at Miami and raised approximately more than $32,000 for Miami's 2007 Relay for Life.

And in death, the premedical student from Concord Township, Ohio, will still be helping others, through a scholarship for a premedical student at Miami that his friends and family are working to establish in his name.

"Jason would just light up a room," said Dolly Madachy, Jason's mother. "He was never mean, never mad." She added with a laugh: "Even when he was taking organic chemistry."

Jason died June 9 in Nags Head, N.C. while vacationing with his family. He allegedly choked on food, fell from a third-story balcony from a rental home and was unable to be revived at the scene. Police said his death was accidental and funeral services were held June 16 in Willoughby, Ohio.

Jason was an active member of the Sigma Pi fraternity-nicknamed "Fratachy" by his friends-and was enrolled in Marshall Medical School in West Virginia for the fall semester.

And loved wine.

"Freshman year we made fun of him (about the wine)," said Jeremy Davis, who lived next door to Jason all four years of college. "But by senior year we were converted."

Davis said Jason made his own wine-blush, he believes-and celebrated a high MCAT score with Dom Pérignon champagne.

As a teaching assistant for a wine tasting class at Miami, Dolly said Jason even recommended his favorite wine to Miami president David Hodge.

"He was such a people person," said junior Matthew Pekins, a Sigma Pi who traveled with Jason on a spring break trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. "He could relate to anyone, have a conversation with anyone about anything. He took a real interest in people-not what they were doing and why, but who they are."

Dolly remembered one instance where Jason sat and talked with an elderly couple uptown at Steinkeller for what seemed like hours.

"The people (Jason spoke with) said most kids wouldn't be able to give them the time of day," Dolly said.

"Jason sat down and talked with them several times. He loved kids. He loved old people. He loved everyone. He would have given you the shirt off your back if you would have asked for it."

Marshall Medical School presented the Madachy family with Jason's white coat at the school's white coat ceremony for incoming medical students, which was ironically held on what would have been Jason's 22nd birthday, Aug. 9. A plaque bearing his name was placed on a chair in one of the school's halls. Jason planned on becoming a family doctor.

"He was one of the most passionate people I've ever met," Davis said. "He always had a smile on his face."

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