St. Charles North alum collapses while running and dies at U of I

Maybe it was the several hundred people who showed up for the memorial mass at the University of Illinois' Newman Center this week that speaks to the type of person Vince Clarkson was.

Maybe it's the flowers and the dozens of notes left on his student architecture workstation that show how much he'll be missed. Or maybe it's the lifelong tribute his sister now bears that will serve as the most lasting testimony to the imprints Clarkson left behind.

Clarkson, 21, a 2007 St. Charles North High School alumnus, died Monday while on a morning jog at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ruth McCauley, associate dean of students, said Clarkson was spotted on a security camera just outside the campus' public safety office at about 10 a.m. Monday. The footage shows Clarkson jogging, then clutching at his head and going out of sight of the camera.

"Security responded very quickly, but by the time the EMS crew arrived on scene he'd stopped breathing," McCauley said.

On a campus of about 42,000 students, about 12 to 15 students die every year, she added. "This one just sounds like a freak incident."

Clarkson was a state champion rugby player in high school and an avid athlete. An autopsy did not immediately reveal the cause of death.

All Maggie Clarkson knows is the best brother in the world is gone. But he won't be forgotten. Clarkson posted an old photo on Facebook of her and her brother as kids in full Power Ranger costume to celebrate the smiles he always brought to her. And now she'll also bear a new tattoo in Vince's honor. The tattoo is the England Rose, a symbol of the England National Rugby Team and the Clarkson family's British heritage. The tattoo also has wings and an inscription with special meaning.

"The wings represent my brother being in heaven," Clarkson said. "The word 'Believe" means a lot to me personally and is helping me get through this time. There is so much I would like to say about my brother, but it's all so personal. He was the best brother anyone could ask for. No matter what, Vince was always there for me. We had the best times together. Vince woke up everyday with a smile on his face and an optimistic view of the world."

Clarkson's family and friends gathered for his wake in St. Charles Friday afternoon. Friday also marked Vince Clarkson's 21st birthday. There will be a funeral mass at 11 a.m. Saturday, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in St. Charles. Clarkson was also a graduate of St. Patrick Catholic School in St. Charles.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks contributions be made to the Illinois Youth Rugby Association, in care of the Clarkson family.