Community mourns loss of Mark Dombroski

Mourners filled Saint Theresa’s Cathedral in Hamilton, Bermuda on March 23 to celebrate the life of Mark Dombroski ’21, according to a report by the Bermuda Broadcasting Company.

Few of the Bermudian attendees ever knew Dombroski, according to the report, but all provided support for the grieving family. Citizens of the island had been actively helping the family since Dombroski, a graduate of Archmere Academy and Media, Pennsylvania native, was reported missing early March 18.

A similarly crowded Mass was held on Palm Sunday at the Chapel of Saint Joseph, where, after the traditional liturgy regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus, Dombroski’s family received recognition for their loss.

The Archmere community held a prayer service on their campus last Monday and gathered again for a memorial mass the next day, according to Archmere Academy’s website. During the Mass, the congregation sang “If I Could Just Sit With You Awhile” by Martin Doman, a song which calls on God for aid in times of pain.

Last week, the Bermuda Police Service found Dombroski’s body in an empty moat in Hamilton, Bermuda. An autopsy report determined that the death had been caused by a 35 foot fall into the moat, and that foul play had likely not been involved.

“Mark is a tragic accident; it appears at this stage that he fell to his death and there is no sign as we speak of the evidence of foul play,” said Superintendent Sean Field-Lament in a press conference earlier this week.

Forensic examination of the scene is still ongoing, according to the Bermuda Police Service, in order to exhaust all possibilities in the case.

While the community continues to mourn, Dombroski’s memory is kept alive by his close friends at St. Joe’s.

Mike Scanlon ’21 lives on the sixth floor of Villiger Residence Hall, one floor above Dombroski. The two met through mutual friends, and Scanlon remembers him as a positive and generous person.

“He would always brighten a room when he walked in,” Scanlon said. “All the heads in the room would just have to look at Mark.”

Khalil Thames ’21, who lived on the same floor as Dombroski, said that he remembers Dombroski’s unique ability to make people feel at ease.

“He [Dombroski] would always be the first person to talk to you, the first person to make you laugh, so those things would just make your day so much better,” Thames said. “And without realizing it, he really just made such an impact.”

Gerardo Rivera Colon ’21, another of Dombroski’s floor mates, said that now is an important time for people who had been close to Dombroski to keep in touch.

“I know our RA told us we need each other in this moment,” Colon said. “Go to everyone, your close friends and family. Use them as a time to heal. It’s okay to be sad, things are going to get better.”