A great attitude. A friend to everyone. An infectious smile. An excellent athlete whose passion was wrestling. A mentor and leader to those around him. These are just a few of the things people knew and admired about Colter Abely.

Colter Abely

Colter grew up in Middletown and graduated from Xavier High School. He was surrounded by friends, neighbors, and teachers who looked forward to his smile, his positive attitude about life, and his willingness to help everyone.

Unfortunately tragedy struck in August 2012 when Colter was killed in an automobile accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike. While life for his family and friends changed in an instant, Colter’s influence on others continued in the days, weeks, and months after his passing. Friends still post on his Facebook page, and his family still vividly remembers his passion for helping others.

Colter’s parents, Brian and Chaleen, wanted to find a way to honor their son’s life that would support the community he deeply cared for – now and forever. Deciding how best to do this can often be challenging, especially with the profound loss of someone you love. Working with their attorney, Edward Lang, Brian and Chaleen were introduced to the Community Foundation of Middlesex County and realized there were many ways to carry on Colter’s legacy.

Brian and Chaleen thought about Colter’s passion for wrestling, about how it went beyond the competition and the matches to supporting his teammates and the Xavier program which meant so much to him. Because Colter loved wrestling, his parents wanted other wrestlers to have all the benefits of the program possible.

Working with the Community Foundation, the Abelys established the Colter Abely Achievement Fund to support the wrestling programs at Middletown High School and Xavier High School, enhancing and supplementing the efforts of the wrestlers and coaches. The Fund will also provide an educational assistance award to a wrestler at each school for study at a college or university.

Colter cared deeply for his friends, his family and his fellow wrestlers. The extent of his influence on those around him continues today, as read in notes and remembrances his parents still receive. Colter’s legacy – mentoring, friendship, teamwork – will continue through Colter’s Fund, and Colter’s life lessons will continue at Middletown High School and Xavier High School for years to come.

“We knew we wanted to do something. We knew we wanted to continue the positive impact Colter had on so many kids. We also knew we wanted to touch as many people as possible. We just didn’t know how to do that. Ed Lang listened to what we wanted and immediately connected us with the Community Foundation. He reassured us that this organization would understand what we wanted to do, the legacy we wanted to create, and help us do so much for the people and the school Colter loved so deeply.”

~ Brian and Chaleen Abely