Dear Members of the Ithaca College Community,
We write to you today to notify the campus community of the passing of Tyler Scerbo, a senior exercise science major in the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance (HSHP). After speaking with Tyler’s family, we wanted to share that he died by suicide on Friday, Aug. 18, at his off-campus residence in Ithaca.
A graduate of Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, New Jersey, Tyler had competed on the Ithaca College Track and Field team. He was due to graduate from IC this coming December.
Please join us in keeping in our prayers Tyler’s family, friends, classmates, teammates, professors, and everyone whose life he touched.
Support services for students are available through the Ithaca College Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) by calling 607-274-3136, and outside of regular business hours following the prompts to select option 5 to speak to a live counselor. Students in distress and needing immediate assistance should contact the Office of Public Safety at 607-274-3333.
CAPS will have extended walk-in hours on Monday, Aug. 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free and confidential support and resources for those experiencing crisis and their loved ones can also be found 24/7 by calling 988 to reach the national Suicide and Crisis Hotline.
On-site counseling support through IC’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) will be available for faculty and staff seeking assistance in processing their grief. An EAP representative will be located in the Center for Health Sciences (CHS) 200 from 11 am to 3 pm tomorrow, Monday, August 21. On Tuesday, August 22, an EAP representative will be located in CHS 203 from 2 to 3 pm to facilitate a positive self-care discussion with HSHP staff and faculty and will then be available from 3 to 5 pm for individual support.
If you would like assistance navigating the supports and resources available to you on and off campus, please submit an ICare referral at www.ithaca.edu/icare.
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life also has a website dedicated to grief resources.
Services to celebrate Tyler’s life will be held at the Norman Dean Funeral Home in Denville, New Jersey. A viewing will be held on Thursday, August 24, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 25, at 9:00 a.m. at the Norman Dean Funeral Home, followed by a service at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dover, New Jersey, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Tyler’s family encourages individuals with fond memories of Tyler to share them with the family via the Norman Dean Funeral Home website. Tyler’s page is expected to be added to the website on Monday, August 21.
We will have an opportunity to come together as a campus community for listening, healing, and celebrating Tyler’s life on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 5:00 p.m. in Muller Chapel.
In the meantime, please continue to take care of yourselves and one another.
With deepest sympathy,
Bonnie Solt Prunty
Vice President, Student Affairs and Campus Life
Marsha Dawson
Dean of Students, Student Affairs and Campus Life