Read the obituary for Melanie Coleman, the accomplished Connecticut gymnast who died after a training accident
“She was and will continue to be our light and love.”
Melanie Coleman was 2 years old when she discovered her “great passion” — gymnastics.She went on to become an All-State gymnast at her high school in Milford, Connecticut, her loved ones said. She continued the sport in college at Southern Connecticut State University, where she was majoring in nursing. In 2019, she received Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Scholastic All-America honors.
Melanie Coleman.
On Sunday, the talented gymnast passed away, after suffering a serious spinal cord injury while training at New Era Gymnastics in Hamden on Friday.
“She was and will continue to be our light and love,” her family said in a statement to Today. “She was a loving daughter, sister, cousin, teammate, and best friend. We are confident that her spirit, laughter, and humor will live on through the ones who loved her most, as well as through the gift of life to those who needed it most through organ donation.”
The 20-year-old was injured when she slipped while practicing on the uneven bars, Thomas Alberti, owner of New Era, told the Hartford Courant. He coached Coleman for nearly 10 years at the gym and called the incident an “unexpected accident with a tragic result.”
“She gave every ounce of energy and that makes a coach want to give everything,” he told the newspaper.
“We are heartbroken and stunned by Melanie’s passing,” SCSU head coach Mary Fredericks said in a statement. “She was an incredibly hard worker and a sweet-spirited young woman. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to her family at this time. The SCSU Gymnastics team will miss her greatly though she will always be with us.”
Southern Connecticut State University Athletics Mourns Passing Of Gymnast Melanie Coleman https://t.co/DrU1RylTKZ
— SCSU Athletics (@SCSU_Owls) November 11, 2019
Melanie Coleman.
According to the university, Coleman displayed leadership in competitions and in the classroom.
The 20-year-old made the dean’s list, her family wrote in her obituary.
“Melanie made lifelong friends who were incredibly important to her throughout school and her sporting activities,” her loved ones wrote. “She was a talented photographer, who loved capturing scenes of the beach, sunrises and sunsets. Melanie was an artistic, vibrant, smart and talented young woman who emitted love and kindness to everyone around her.”
More than $64,000 has been raised in three days on GoFundMe to support Coleman’s family, with thousands donating and hundreds sharing messages of condolences.
“My daughter is a former gymnast and was coached by Miss Melanie and her sister,” wrote one donor. “My heart goes out to her family and friends.”
Funeral services will be held for Coleman on Saturday at Saint Mary Church in Milford.
Read the obituary for the accomplished 20-year-old, shared by Cody White Funeral Home, below:
Melanie Amber Coleman, 20, of Milford, passed away on November 10, 2019. Born on June 2, 1999 in Milford, she was the beloved daughter of Thomas and Susan Coleman.
Melanie was born and raised in Milford. She attended Pumpkin Delight Elementary School, West Shore Middle School and Jonathan Law High School. At JLHS, she was a member of the National Honor Society and was an all-state track runner, excelling in the 4×400 meter relay. However, Melanie’s greatest passion, gymnastics, began at the age of two. Her talent led her to become an all-state gymnast at JLHS and she continued to compete in college. Melanie was a junior at Southern CT State University, majoring in nursing while making the Dean’s List, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her two older sisters.
Melanie loved spending time with her family, especially with her brother Jimmy, with whom she shared a special bond. She always looked forward to the annual family trips to Disney. Melanie made lifelong friends who were incredibly important to her throughout school and her sporting activities. She was a talented photographer, who loved capturing scenes of the beach, sunrises and sunsets. Melanie was an artistic, vibrant, smart and talented young woman who emitted love and kindness to everyone around her.
Along with her loving parents, Melanie leaves behind her siblings, Valerie Alexa, Tiffany Elise, James Thomas, and Nicholas Michael; maternal grandparents, Maryann and Raymond Steinman; paternal grandmother, Kathryn Coleman; aunts and uncles, Elizabeth and Craig Carr, Kathleen Mahieu, John and Linda Steinman, Christine and David Heenan, Christopher Coleman, John and Rolinda Coleman, and Paul and Renee Coleman; cousins, Daniel, Christopher, Jillian, Andrea, Robert, Jessica, Jack, Stephanie, Joseph, Tyler, Lauren, Sean, Jack, Roger, Kaitlyn, Ryan, and Patrick; and many friends who she loved dearly. She was predeceased by her paternal grandfather, Thomas C. Coleman.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, November 16, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Mary Church (Precious Blood Parish), 70 Gulf St., Milford (MEET DIRECTLY AT CHURCH). Interment will follow at Saint Mary Cemetery, Buckingham Ave., Milford. Friends and family may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 15, 2019 at the CODY-WHITE FUNERAL HOME, 107 Broad St., Milford, CT.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com