Mourners leave SMU’s Perkins Chapel following the memorial service held in honor of Jacob “Jake” Stiles, a 20-year-old sophomore who was found dead in his fraternity house Saturday. (John Schreiber, The Daily Campus)
The SMU community gathered to mourn the death of 20-year-old Jacob “Jake” Stiles Wednesday night at SMU’s Perkins Chapel.
Friends, fraternity brothers and fellow students packed the pews of the small on-campus sanctuary to remember the SMU sophomore who was found dead in his room at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house Saturday.
More than 50 members of SAE walked across campus into the chapel double file, and were joined by local officials SAE’s governing body and various SMU Division of Student Affairs staff.
University Chaplain William Finnin presided over the service, which included reflections and remembrances by SMU President R. Gerald Turner and Stiles’ classmates.
“Jake was not only our classmate or a friend, he was a brother and our lives are always brighter because we knew him,” said SAE chapter President Jeff Tolbert.
First-year Caryn Jendro also spoke to the assembled group. Jendro is from Stiles’ hometown of Naperville, Ill. and was one of the last people to see Stiles alive the night before he died.
“He was passionate about life, his friends, SMU, SAE and even his summer job at our neighborhood pool,” Jendro said.
Friends recalled Stiles as funny and personable, with a genuine concern for his friends. His SAE big brother Birdie Friedell recalled when Stiles first joined the fraternity, and Friedell missed his initiation ceremony because he was ill.
Friedell said he met Stiles to apologize to him, and before he could, Stiles asked how he was feeling and gave him soup and a movie.
Finnin gave a sermon encouraging Stiles’ friends to support each other in their time of grief and told them not to hide their feelings.
“The truth will set you free,” Finnin said, quoting the motto of SMU.
After the service, a reception was held sponsored by the SMU Mother’s and Dad’s Clubs.
The cause of Stiles’ death is still under investigation and pending the results of a toxicology test. SMU Police and the Dallas County Medical Examiner are investigating Stiles’ death.
