From the moment he emerged from his mom, he gazed out at the world, innately curious about his surroundings and this new world. It was a trait that fueled Colin O’Kane’s very being throughout his life, powered his love of friends and family, interest in new adventures and his athletic endeavors.
Colin, in peak fitness, died suddenly June 3, 2016, of undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), at the age of 25. The love, friendship and mentoring he packed into those years could fill most people’s lifetimes.
Initially a basketball player at Archbishop Mitty High School, Colin took up lacrosse as a sophomore and immediately excelled as a long pole defensive player. Playing with the San Jose Vipers club team, at camps and random pickups games—wherever he could wield a stick—Colin became a leader and a force in the game. He captained his high school lacrosse team; as a high school senior, he traveled to Europe as a standout member of the USA All Star Team. It was on that team where the man with the infectious smile and boundless energy met and made so many close friends. His high school coach Carlos Trujillo, who played at West Point, honored him with a #43 jersey. Carlos started a tradition by reserving the #43 jersey for his best defensive player. This was a legendary number worn by Dave Pietramala, who many consider one of the best defensive players in lacrosse history, when he played at lacrosse powerhouse Johns Hopkins.
Colin, an imposing 6 foot 3 ½ inch-tall long-pole defenseman, was recruited to play lacrosse at Sonoma State, and he studied sociology there, fitting for a man who since birth had looked on the world with wonder. He worked at Sling It Lacrosse, where he became expert at stringing racquets—even in ancient Native American styles. He also began to mentor and teach younger kids how to play the game, and he often gave away his own equipment to less-fortunate players, such was his love of the game and his passion and understanding of its benefits for youth.
After college, still coaching young lacrosse players at Palo Alto High, he took EMT courses and applied at the Santa Clara Fire Department, where passed the difficult agility test and broke timing records in the process. He successfully completed all the requirements and Firefighter Colin O’Kane will always be officially recognized as a member of the Santa Clara Fire Department.
It is in Colin’s spirit—his spirit of enthusiasm for the game and his spirit of giving and mentoring—that we’ve created the Colin O’Kane Foundation. The fund will help finance attendance at Bay Area lacrosse camps for underprivileged players and encourage and support our youth who want to play lacrosse, no matter their financial situation. Our goal is to raise money for gear, sign up costs, and travel-related expenses for games and tournaments and also to foster research into HCM.
For more information and to donate, please visit our Donation page. Thank you for your support and honoring Colin’s memory.