Adam Morales, member of the Loyola High School class of 2019, passed away in a motorcycle accident this past December. Adam was a man of many virtues, whose respect for his family, community, school, and work transcends his own life and can serve as a model for our own. The Loyola community mourns this loss with a heavy heart.
Paul Pascale, Adam’s football coach, described him as “a Renaissance man.” Pascale added, “He was involved with so many different things. He was a spiritual kid who talked openly about who he was and where he came from.”
Adam was a football manager his freshman and sophomore year and a varsity player his junior and senior year, and he exemplified the qualities of a fantastic teammate. Pascale continued, “He was just kind. He had the right attitude, he could take it, and he understood. He brought the world more kindness. If we follow his example, this world’s gonna be a better place.”
Dr. Rick Pedroarias ’84, another of Adam’s football coaches, described him as good-natured, funny, and dedicated. Pedroarias said, “I started calling him ‘Lefty’ after he hurt his left arm, and he always made a joke that he always seemed to get hurt on the left side of his body. He even got ‘Lefty’ embroidered on his letterman jacket.”
Pedroarias described Adam as “a delight to be around, just always working hard. He was dedicated to every task he got. His mother instilled in him a lot of responsibility and dedication, and he was always present and always giving everything he had to his studies, to his athletics. Anything he did, he would complete.”
Mr. Shawver, Adam’s junior year theology teacher and Kairos leader, remembers the impact Adam had on the Loyola community.
Shawver said, “I asked Adam to be on the spring Kairos retreat team with me, and one of the things that became evident was how generous Adam was. He was one of the guys who always put others first, the guy who volunteered to move things along, and he always had a positive outlook despite any challenges.”
Mrs. Blanca Falcon, Cub Corner Manager, is Adam’s friend and godmother. She said, “I met Adam during summer school before he was going into seventh grade…He wanted to converse about anything and everything with you. We shared the love of music, and that probably started our friendship.”
Falcon said, “It was amazing to see him grow from the age of 12 into a caring, compassionate, generous, selfless young man. The impact he made in his short life impacted a lot of people, and not just at Loyola, I mean his family, his UPS family. He made an impact not just in our small world but in the world at large. If anyone needed help, he was right there.”
Adam had a great relationship with his mom, Captain Elaine Morales of LAPD, and she came to campus on a few occasions to speak with student groups about her work and personal experiences. Falcon said, “He had the best relationship with his mother that anyone could have.”
Adam will serve as an example of selflessness, kindness, generosity and service for the Loyola community, the UPS community, in his family and beyond.
Falcon captured Adam’s impact on the many lives he touched with a quote by the author Jay Shetty: “The role you play in someone else’s life won’t always match the role they play in yours.”