ORONO — A memorial service for the three, young men killed in a plane crash earlier this month will be held Tuesday night on the Orono campus of the University of Maine.

Margaret Nagle, a spokeswoman for the University of Maine, said the 6 p.m. service was organized by the university’s Maine Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils.

The service, which will be held in Hauck Auditorium, will be followed by a candlelight vigil on the university mall.

Members of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity will eulogize the two University of Maine students killed in the crash – David Cheney, 22, of Beverly, Mass., and Marcelo Rugini, 24, a foreign exchange student from Brazil  – as well as 2011 alumnus William “B.J.” Hannigan, 24, of Portland, who piloted the plane.

Cheney, Rugini and Hannigan were all members of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Cheney was the fraternity’s president.

Robert Dana, the University’s vice president for student affairs and dean of students, is also expected to speak at the service.

The students’ single-engine plane crashed and burned after hitting a pickup truck that was crossing the runway at fthe Knox County Regional Airport on the night of Nov. 16.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.