Lindenhurst teen remembered as gentle-hearted, caring student

A Lindenhurst teen who died Thursday after being struck by a truck is being remembered by family and friends as a quiet, creative student who loved the outdoors and was passionate about Japanese pop culture.

Griffin Schumow, 19, was struck by a pickup truck while trying to cross a four-lane road near Carthage College in Kenosha, where he studied Japanese, according to a news release from the college.

Schumow would have finished his first year at Carthage in May.

“He was just so tenderhearted, so compassionate to other people, very gentle-spirited, hardworking, and determined to never give up,” Annette Duncan, an English professor at Carthage who had Schumow in class last fall, said in the release. “He was a quiet gem — someone who didn't draw a lot of attention to himself, but he was a beautiful human.”

Teachers and friends said Schumow was passionate about Japanese culture and was a member of the Cosplay and Pop Culture Club at Carthage.

“He had a burning passion for all things Japanese, and he was highly knowledgeable in Japanese popular culture,” said Professor Darwin Tsen, who taught Griffin in two Japanese courses this year. “He was a gentle soul whose loss will be deeply felt throughout the Carthage community.”

Schumow's friends in the Cosplay and Pop Culture Club remembered him as a funny, passionate kid whose presence will be sorely missed.

“When he first joined the club, he would introduce himself as ‘Bird-Lion' and wait with a straight face for you to realize his name was Griffin and then would burst out laughing,” members of the club said in a statement. “In conversation, he would stay thoughtfully quiet waiting for the perfect moment to strike with a joke and leave you in stitches.”

Schumow was passionate about the environment and would light up when talking about the things he loved.

“He was keenly aware of the natural world, and he cared deeply about our role as humans in taking care of our environment,” said Professor Matthew Zorn, who taught Griffin last fall.

Students and faculty of Carthage are invited to attend a vigil in honor of Schumow will be held at 11:40 a.m. Tuesday in a chapel on the college's campus.

A memorial service is scheduled for Friday, May 4, at March Funeral Home in Gurnee. Visitation will start at 4 p.m., with a services to begin at 7:30.

Schumow is survived by his two younger siblings, Jonah and Tess, and his parents, Krista and Jeff Schumow.