Funeral for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau to be held in Delaware County Monday
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS) -- Brothers and star hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau will be laid to rest during a funeral service in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, next week.
The service is set to take place at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media on Monday, Sept. 9. According to obituaries for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, the private funeral service is for friends and family members, but will be livestreamed on CBS News Philadelphia and on nhl.com/bluejackets.
The Gaudreau brothers grew up in Carneys Point Township in New Jersey, where they played hockey at Gloucester Catholic High School before going on to play for Boston College.
Matthew served as coach of the Gloucester Catholic hockey team after a five-year pro career, and Johnny was a beloved member of the Columbus Blue Jackets at the time of his death, as evident by the emotional show of support by his teammates and Blue Jackets staff during a press conference and vigil Wednesday afternoon.
The brothers were killed on Aug. 29 after a suspected drunk driver, identified as 43-year-old Sean Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, crashed into them as they were riding bikes on County Route 551 in Oldmans Township, Salem County, police said.
Police said Higgins tried to pass a slower vehicle when he hit the Gaudreau brothers, who were riding along the right side of the road. Higgins, who is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, is being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility. His pre-trial detention hearing was postponed until Friday, Sept. 13.
Johnny Gaudreau was 31 years old, and Matthew was 29.
"As we embark on the journey of laying John and Matty to rest, we are greatly comforted by all those who have visited these growing memorials and who have left messages of love, prayers, thoughts of kindness as well as jerseys, skates, sticks, pucks, flowers, candles and so many other tokens of remembrance," the Gaudreau family said in a statement released this week.
"We have been brought to our knees, but in that process we have witnessed and are reminded that we have been blessed with everything everyone has done for us through the lives John and Matty lived," the statement continued in part. "We are gaining strength and WE WILL stand up once again. We are Gaudreau Strong!"
Nearly a week after his death, Johnny's wife Meredith shared a tribute to her late husband on the third anniversary of their wedding, writing on Instagram, "I love you forever John and I am so proud to be your wife."
In the wake of their deaths, tributes from across the NHL and sports community continued to pour in for the Gaudreaus. At their game on Friday, Aug. 30, the Philadelphia Phillies observed a moment of silence for the brothers, whose family grew up cheering on Philly teams.
Public viewing for the Gaudreau brothers on Sunday
A public viewing was held on Sunday, Sept. 8 at the D'Anjolell Memorial Home in Broomall, Delaware County.
The viewing began at 12 p.m., and hundreds of mourners came to pay their respects to the Gaudreau family. Marple Township police told CBS News Philadelphia that people began lining up around 10 a.m. for the noon visitation, with shuttle buses transporting attendees while the funeral home's parking lot was reserved for family and NHL members.
