In Loving Memory: Franco, Parker and Cailin

To remember Franco, Parker and Cailin, the UD community shared memories and loving words to capture a small piece of their impact. Photo of Serenity Pines courtesy of Keegan Gupta, Flyer News.

Lauren Durham | Print Editor-in-Chief

Zoë Hill | News Editor

The University of Dayton community was rocked by the recent deaths of three Flyers within one week. Franco Patino, Parker Spindle and Lt. Cailin Foster embodied what it means to be a Flyer by living in service of their friends, family, community and country. The people who knew them said their spirits were infectious and their reach rippled through campus. UD continues to mourn them during this difficult semseter that has shown us the importance of being there for our fellow Flyers.

To honor and remember Franco, Parker and Cailin, the UD community shared memories and loving words to capture a small piece of their impact. 

Franco Patino

Age 21 | Napperville, Illinois

“Franco truly embodied the University of Dayton’s hopes for our students – to develop compassionate hearts and critical minds. Through his ETHOS immersion with United Rehabilitation Services in Dayton and through his leadership and involvement on campus, Franco exemplified, and ensured for others, the Catholic and Marianist values of human dignity, right relationships, and solidarity.  Specifically, he shared his passion for making sure all people, regardless of abilities, have access to the right to education, to freely participate in cultural life of the community, and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.  He will be dearly missed by all of us in The Ethos Center and we thank Franco, and his family, for opportunity to know an incredible human being and engineering student.”

-ETHOS

“Franco always reminded me that he had so much faith in me and my dreams, and spoke of his own passions and dreams with a massive grin. He was determined and worked so hard to reach his goals. He’d never let anyone believe their dreams were out of reach. It hurts that he’ll never be able to reach all of his dreams.”

-Rachel LaFerriere, Rolling Stone

“He will always be remembered for his fun, goofy, energetic and loving self. He has committed so much passion and time for this chapter and to being a leader of the University of Dayton. We will continue to honor his memory and legacy. It is our mission as his brothers and sisters to carry on his dreams and make him proud. We love you so much Hermano and will continue to remember you.”

-Alpha Psi Lambda, Instagram

Lt. Cailin Foster

Age 22 | Monument, Colorado

“Cailin was a first year Masters of Business Administration student here at UD. She recently graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, before arriving at her first duty station – WPAFB’s Air Force Research Laboratory. In truth, Cailin had experienced several duty stations before this one.  She comes from a family with a longstanding tradition of serving our nation in the Armed Forces. Their family’s service goes back multiple generations.  Her father Gary has spent a career in the Air Force, and as a result Cailin experienced many different unique places and cultures growing up. Cailin’s younger sister Ashlyn continues the tradition in service, as she currently follows in her father and sister’s footsteps as a student at the US Air Force Academy. 

Cailin’s mother Colleen phrased perfectly– ‘Cailin was brilliant and beautiful’. Cailin’s Air Force unit leadership said, It was a brief and fleeting privilege for me to meet Cailin when she visited campus over the summer, and stopped into our center. She will be missed deeply by her MBA classmates, which included an Air Force Veteran and an active duty Army Officer.”

-Sam Surowitz, director of Military and Veteran Programs and Services at the University of Dayton

“Cailin made a strong impression on her team.  There was a brightness in her eye.  As a Materials Durability and Structure Engineer, the work that she did contributed and was critical for securing airpower for defense of our nation, and for our warfighters.” 

-Cailin’s Air Force leadership unit

Parker Spindle

Age 21 | Grand Rapids, Michigan

“Parker was my best friend and roommate. We did everything together. We liked the same food. We liked the same tv shows. He was goofy with a huge passion for sports. He could make friends with anyone (unless you are an OSU fan). One of my fondest memories is going sledding down Stuart Hill last year, and he went down in a shopping cart. I miss him and love him.”

-Tim Konopacki

“Parker was the love of my life. His smile was infectious and he had such a beautiful light behind his eyes. He was such a positive person that everyone could rely on. He was the type of guy to give someone his shoes and walk barefoot if they said their shoes hurt. He was the type of guy who gave and gave and gave without ever expecting anything in return. 

He loved sports more than anything. He was a die-hard Michigan fan, and he never missed watching a game. He even watched them in the gymnastics national championship because he loved Michigan so much. When Parker was watching sports, he was all-in. He loved watching Dayton basketball, too. He loved Lake Michigan and spent all his summers on the lake. He was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. He was incredibly handy and was always fixing everything for everyone. Whether it was fixing my car up or mending broken shelves, Parker could do it. 

Words cannot and will not be able to describe how amazing of a person Parker was. Knowing him was the biggest blessing in my life.”

-Mary Kate Kelty

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