18-year-old Jacob "Coby" St. Phard's parents have plans for a nonprofit and a charity soccer game to honor their son's legacy.
Jacob "Coby" St. Phard went on a religious mission about three years ago in a poor area of the Bahamas and bonded with another teen his age named Brandon.
The two had a fast, natural friendship that was free of texting and video games.
They climbed coconut trees and chucked stones in the ocean, and Coby was struck by Brandon's living conditions: a 200-square foot house.
But when it was time leave the island, Coby's father, Vlad St. Phard, noticed his son was crying.
"Dad, I'm crying because I'm never going to see him again," Coby said of Brandon, his father Vlad St. Phard recalled.
Vlad St. Phard said the moment stays with him because it's one of the first times he saw a sensitivity Coby had to people that only grew as he matured.
Coby St. Phard stepped in front of a train in early March in West Windsor, ending his life and stunning a large group of people: his fellow students at Notre Dame High School in Lawrence, the central Jersey soccer scene and his family community in the East Windsor area.
The 18-year-old was a star soccer player on his high school and club teams, and was set to play for Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. next year.
Massive turnout at services for soccer star killed by train
Vlad and Rachelle St. Phard don't know why it happened.
They do know Coby's spirit will live on, and they're planning tangible representations of it.
During an interview at their insurance company in Hightstown recently, Vlad and Rachelle St. Phard said they are planning to convert funds raised on a GoFundMe page into a nonprofit organization that will honor their son's legacy - possibly with academic scholarships for deserving students.
The fund is over $46,000, an amount that happily awes them.
FlyhighCoby, a hashtag used on social media posts after their son's death, is a possible organization name.
And there's talk of an annual charity soccer game to fund future endeavors.
They're kicking around the name "The Coby Classic."
The plans are premature, but however they evolve, "We want to honor Cody, and honor God," Vlad St. Phard said.
Notre Dame HS senior killed by train had 'greatest personality'
Rachelle St. Phard also said it's Coby's spirit that stays with the family, and what the nonprofit plans will highlight.
"He always wanted to make sure everyone else was happy," Rachelle said. "It's something he perpetually looked for."
Another time, Coby and his father discussed a story Coby had read about the stresses that high school kids face. "He never wanted to see people cry," Vlad St. Phard said. "That goes to his heart."
As they continue to plan, and mourn, the St. Phard's said they thank God for the wonderful 18 years they had with their son, and they thank everyone who supported them. Notre Dame High School, they said, continues to be an amazing support system, Rachelle St. Phard said.
"He's certainly going to be missed," Rachelle St. Phard said. "He created a lot of memories."
"Our world was better because he was in it," she said.
You've made all of us laugh since the day you came to ND. I love you, rest easy Cob. Thanks @16visalli for the video pic.twitter.com/nvbqxIPam9
-- maggi (@maggi_driscoll) March 7, 2016
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.