EAST LONGMEADOW – Graduates from East Longmeadow High School’s (ELHS) class of 1994 are organizing events to honor one of their former classmates – Dallas, TX, police officer Michael Krol, who was killed along with four other officers in a shooting on July 7.

Jennifer Cunningham Maccarini, a friend and classmate of Krol’s, told Reminder Publications members of the class of 1994 organized a private gathering to honor Krol on July 15, the week after his death.

“Classmates of ours filled the banquet room at Mario’s Café Ambiance in East Longmeadow,” she added. “Father Wayne of St. Michael’s Church led a non-denominational prayer and a beautiful candlelight vigil. And then several of our classmates spoke about Mike. One of the most special parts of the evening was after the official ceremony was over. Most classmates stayed behind, pulled the tables together, and sat around leafing through old yearbooks and sharing stories about Mike.”

Maccarini shared her memory of Krol in high school as “a bit bashful, very sweet and friendly, with a great smile.”

She added, “He was an athlete; his best sport being basketball, but he had a lot of different friends, not just athletes.”

Anthony Gentile, another classmate and friend of Krol’s, who now works as a local public safety dispatcher, also shared his memories of Krol.

“He was a great kid all throughout high school,” Gentile said. “He was the biggest kid. He was a gentle giant. He just wouldn’t hurt anybody. He was always joking around and you could always tell where he was in the crowded halls of the high school because he was so tall. He just towered above everybody else.”

Based on Krol’s personality from high school, Gentile said he believes he was an excellent police officer.

When Gentile heard the news of Krol’s death over Facebook, his first reaction was disbelief.

“My sister texted me to look at Facebook right away and I looked and I thought, ‘That can’t be true.’ And it took a while to actually sink in that he was murdered,” he explained.

Since the private gathering to honor Krol, members of the class of 1994 have purchased a brick with Krol’s name engraved in it that would be placed on the Spartan Walkway in front of the high school, Maccarini said.

“We have also begun discussions about coordinating a Spartan alumni basketball game coinciding with the dedication, the benefits of which would go towards a scholarship to a graduating East Longmeadow High School student,” she noted.

Gentile said there are also plans to host a vigil sometime this fall as an opportunity for those who knew Krol to honor his memory.

Maccarini said the class of 1994 alumnus have been in contact with Krol’s family such as his sister Amie, who attended ELHS as well.

“They are extremely thankful for all we have done and for the love and support we have shown Mike,” she added. “I know many think the funeral costs are covered, especially considering the circumstances, but they are not and fall on the family’s shoulders.”

She continued, “Mike’s death is a tragic loss to the world and has impacted the community of East Longmeadow deeply. Essentially, the goal of honoring Mike is to overpower the hatred, which caused his death, with the joy his life brought to the world and will continue to bring.”

Krol’s uncle James Ehlke has also organized a GoFundMe page called the Michael Krol Memorial Fund, which can be found at www.gofundme.com/MikeKrol, Maccarini said.