To his basketball coach, Sameer Quadri, a senior at Niles North High School, was passionate about the game he played and believed in his teammates, motivating them to play to the best of their abilities. To his family, Sameer Quadri was a social person, and they were not surprised that over 250 of his high school friends attended his funeral at the Muslim Community Center’s Chicago location on Friday.
Sameer Quadri, 17, of Skokie, was found in the waters of Lake Michigan on Wednesday night by Evanston officials and taken to Evanston hospital, but did not survive.
Evanston firefighters utilized a drone equipped with infrared technology, marine units, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter to rescue his body from the water, officials stated. A family member said Sameer Quadri was out at Lighthouse Beach with a few friends, but that the waves of Lake Michigan pulled him away from his group of friends when they were swimming.
Leaving three siblings behind, including one twin, Sameer Quadri’s family declined to speak to the media. Habeeb Quadri, Sameer’s Quadri’s uncle’s cousin and the superintendent at MCC Academy in Morton Grove, told Pioneer Press about the life Sameer left behind.
“Right now, his siblings are just really devastated, it’s hard for them to talk,” Habeeb Quadri said, adding he had also spoken to Sameer Quadri’s parents.
“I think it was quite devastating for his dad and mom… but they try have positive spirits, and understanding that this was God’s plan… and we just have to be patient and pray that he’s in a better place,” he said.
Over 1,600 people attended the funeral, according to Habeeb Quadri. Guests included Skokie Mayor Ann Tennes, Illinois Rep. Kevin Olickal, and several other community leaders, he said, largely due to the family’s large footprint in the area, which comprises up to 400 family members, he said.
“It’s very touching, because it is a weekday for them to take their personal time off, to come and pop over… it’s a blessing to see that,” he said.
“This is also a learning experience about life being short and maximizing the best of it,” he added.
Niles North High School Basketball Coach Glenn Olson called Quadri an “elite human being” who worked hard on and off the basketball court motivating his teammates to do better.
Quadri, a senior at Niles North, missed out on playing his junior year because of an ACL injury, “but that wasn’t a concern for him,” Olson told Pioneer Press. “[His concern] was, what can I do to make this team better?”
Olson said he was notified of Quadri’s death Thursday morning, and the high school’s administration gave him and Quadri’s 25 teammates space to sit and reflect on Quadri’s legacy.
“That room was tough, but at the same time, we were remembering somebody who we loved,” Olson said. “We were really, really, really lucky that this kid came into our lives… we were all better people because we got to be teammates, friends, shooting partners… we got to coach a kid like Sameer Quadri.”
Niles Township High School District 219 Superintendent Tom Moore released a statement on behalf of the district early Thursday morning.
“We are devastated to learn of the loss of Sameer. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire Niles North community. At times like this it is important for our students and staff to grieve with each other, and we have mental health support staff from across the district here at North.”