Newswatch 16’s Valeria Quiñones spoke to family and friends about Zupon’s lasting impact.
SCRANTON, Pa. — At All Saints Academy in Scranton, a gym became more than just a place for games; it became a tribute to a student who never got to complete his journey here. The school dedicated the court to Lenny Zupon. He was a seventh grader who passed away after a car crash in 2014.
After years of fundraising efforts by his mother, Mary Jane, the school was able to get a new gym floor. For his mother, this is more than just a ceremony; it’s a celebration of Lenny’s life. “I still, to this day, like when I see the red kettles out, he used to run back to my car and take money out of my little stash of change and come back and dump it in the red kettles,” says Mary Jane.
That generosity and caring spirit is what many of his family, friends, and former classmates still remember him for.
“He was amazing. He was so joyful. He was a bit of a prankster. A big prankster. We used to hang out with our one friend Nico, and we’d go up to his house, and there would be times that we would wake up with whip cream on us and things. He was fun. He was,” says Andrew Craven, a friend.
“I just remember him as always funny. He was always a competitive person, and we all miss him. We’re all here still,” says Dan Dougherty, a friend.
Here to honor him on the same court they all played on, which is now renamed Lenny Zupon Court. His name is forever imprinted on the floor, and his #54 basketball jersey hangs on the wall.
“You know, A lot of people, as I said, loved him, and there are tons of people here today that were in his class. They still go up to the cemetery. They put flowers on his grave. It’s just constant stuff with him,” says Mary Jane.
The gym is now a lasting place, to remind the community not only of the great loss but of the great love, kindness, and sense of community that Lenny continues to inspire.