Oswego School District Mourns Loss Of 2 Students, Teacher

OSWEGO, IL — The Oswego School District 308 community is reeling from several losses last week with the deaths of Oswego High School student Sean Fader, Oswego East graduate Javion Magee and teacher and coach Aaron Dudley, who all died within days of each other.

Fader, 17, was killed in a single-vehicle crash Friday night on Minkler Road. He had just started his senior year at OHS, worked at the Oswego Park District refereeing soccer matches and as a lifeguard at the Churchill pool.

He was "known for his amazing smile and magnetic personality," according to his obituary, which added, "Sean took pride in having multiple close friend groups and navigating them so that everyone felt like his best friend. He loved hanging with his friends, tubing behind a boat, and finding shells on the beach, to the point that home became a mere rest stop."

Magee, 21, was working as a truck driver and was found dead Sept. 11 in North Carolina, where he'd been making a delivery to the Walmart distribution center.

He was found in a wooded area, and while his cause of death is still under investigation, the Vance County Sheriff's Office said there's no evidence he was the victim of a crime or of lynching, WTVD in North Carolina reported. The sheriff's office released video of Magee purchasing the rope authorities say was used in his death on Sept. 10.

A family spokesperson told the station that they've seen the video, and it raises more questions than it answers, and that the family suspects foul play. The sheriff said the FBI is now involved in the investigation.

Dudley, 44, died one day shy of his 45th birthday, according to his obituary, after a battle with cancer. "His love for sports was evident in his coaching roles for football and wrestling at Oswego East High School, wrestling and soccer at Plank Junior High, and track at Murphy Junior High," his obituary said.

"Our district has experienced significant losses over the past several days. Each of us uniquely processes the impact of tragedy, and what's most important now is to seek support, if needed, and encourage others to do the same," the district said in a statement Tuesday. "We are part of a district family that lifts each other up and truly cares. We know so many things are going on to memorialize and remember the three lives gone too soon. In this thread, we invite you to share ideas and information across our community as we help each other heal."

A memorial gathering for Fader is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 at Dunn Family Funeral Home, 1801 S. Douglas Road in Oswego. A GoFundMe page has been created for the Sean Fader Memorial Scholarship. "For those planning to attend the visitation, the Faders have requested that everyone dress casually wearing either blue or Oswego spiritwear," District 308 said.

A memorial visitation for Dudley is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Bauman Family Funeral Home, 5600 Route 34 in Oswego. According to the District, "The Dudley family encourages attendees to wear a sportswear of your preference or School Spirit Wear to honor his commitment and passion for sports and the school district."

The district said it does not yet have service information for Magee but will share it when it becomes available.