Burial and memorial services are scheduled today for Frederick Lieb, the McCormick junior who died of a pre-existing heart condition early Sunday after post-game celebrations on Ryan Field.
A memorial service for friends and family will be conducted at 11 a.m. at Tharp Funeral Chapel in Bedford, Va., and burial will follow in Virginia Memorial Park.
An on-campus memorial service will take place at 7 p.m. Monday in Alice Millar Chapel.
The 20-year-old chemical engineering major from Crestview, Fla., collapsed shortly before midnight on the field following Northwestern’s victory over Ohio State Saturday night.
Police initially said Lieb had run down from the upper deck, but Weinberg junior Steve Shellenbarger told The Daily Monday that he and Lieb had walked slowly from the student section onto the field. Shellenbarger said Lieb had complained of shortness of breath during the game.
He received CPR from security personnel and a doctor at the stadium before he was taken to Evanston Hospital, 2650 Ridge Ave., where he was later pronounced dead, according to a statement released by the university.
Lieb had a genetic heart condition — a weak heart muscle — which forced him to wear a pacemaker and take daily medication, said his father, Frederick E. Lieb, Sr. Shortness of breath was fairly common for him.
Although his condition prevented him from playing most sports, friends and family said Lieb was an avid sports fan, who meticulously kept account of sports statistics and scores.
“He was a big football fan,” Lieb said. “He was just a fan of sports in general.”
Born on May 22, 1984 in Woodbridge, Va., Lieb always was a well-behaved and quiet child, his father said. He excelled in his school work and took several advanced classes in high school, aiming to eventually attend a “good school like Northwestern.”
“He was always a procrastinator but he always got things done in the end,” Lieb said.
But his father said Lieb put family and friends before academics and always was “willing to help anyone he could in any way.”
While at NU, Lieb volunteered two to three days a week at the Foster Reading Center, an after-school program for students in kindergarten through third grade.
“He was a great kid and he’d never harm anyone or anything,” Lieb said. “We will miss him and the world will miss him very much.”
Memorial contributions can be made to the American Heart Association in Lynchburg, Va. To send condolences, please visit the Web site www.tharpfuneralhome.com.
Lieb is survived by his father; his mother, Tara Albrook; a younger brother, Brady Schultheiss; and two younger sisters, Brittany Albrook and Jessica Lieb.
Reach Malavika Jagannathan at [email protected].
