Crime & Safety

Two Years Later, Family Remembers Cameron Nicholls

Exactly two years ago Wednesday, the Quiogue teen lost his life in a tragic crash.

Two years after he died in a tragic East Quogue car accident, Cameron Nicholls' family continues to mourn his loss.

Born on January 7, 1993, Cameron died on June 26, 2011 -- he was only 18 years old. 

His mother Stephanie shared a memorial with Patch to remember her son and said the years without him have been shadowed with pain and unimaginable sorrow.

We remember our beloved Cameron
His spirit, energy, and smile
Who he was  and what he might have
become. . . 
Our hearts are shattered
Our love forever binding
Remembered today and every day

Nicholls, who was a passenger in a car driven by a fellow student, died in a tragic accident in 2011 when the vehicle veered off Lewis Road in East Quogue, flipped and struck a car parked in a driveway.

The years since have been filled with grief for all who loved Cameron — but most agreed at a memorial vigil last June that he would want his family and friends to remember his life and smile. 

At the vigil, a new tree and plaque erected by Southampton Town stood as a forever remembrance of a young life ended too soon.

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“So many people loved him,” Cameron’s father David Nicholls said at last year's vigil. “Really loved him — he was bigger than we knew.”

Tears streaming down his face, David said other parents should treasure the everyday moments.

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“You take it for granted, when you have it in your hands,” he said. “It’s precious — parents should enjoy their kids.”

At last year's vigil Stephanie Nicholls thanked over 60 friends who came to remember her boy, especially the “angels,” Cameron’s friends who continued to support his family even after he was gone, stopping over for visits and remaining a part of their lives.

“Without them, I would not be here,” she said. “When I think of Cameron I feel devastated and I want to cry, but today we are here to celebrate his life.”

Of her son, she said, “I was blessed to know him. He taught me how to live.”

Her son, she said, was known for his smile, for the way that smile lit up his eyes, for his sense of humor and his contagious laugh. Never one to sit idle, he was always headed off on his next adventure — to the gym, to the beach. 

Although short, Nicholls said, her son “lived his life. He was comfortable in his skin."

Looking back, Nicholls said every time she left Cameron, she told him, “Be good. Be smart. Be safe.” And, she added, she always told him she loved him.

Friends remembered a teen who loved the water, and to windsurf. 

One friend remembered how Cameron’s smile “lit up a room.” 

Added Geralyn Sagar, the mom of Cameron’s friends, at the vigil, “You left your mark on our hearts, Cameron.”


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