Former Ohio State goalie Sean Romeo has died due to complications following a stroke. He was 31.
After Sean suffered an initial stroke on October 15, things took an ultimately fatal turn in the early morning hours of Thursday, October 22.
“Sean’s brain swelling continued to worsen,” Sean’s mother, Lisa, shared via a support page. “He suffered another stroke, this time affecting the opposite side of his brain, along with bleeding into his brainstem. The damage was simply too extensive, and despite everything the doctors had done and how hard Sean had fought, his body could no longer overcome it.”
Sean died “very peacefully” on Saturday, October 24.
“I find comfort in knowing he was not in pain and that he was surrounded by people who loved him more than words can express,” Lisa said.
The day after his death, Lisa said she faced “one of the hardest days of my life.”
“I don’t think anything can prepare a mother for having to go through her child’s belongings,” she wrote. “To touch every piece of everything your child owns, knowing you have to decide what to keep and what to say goodbye to, is a pain I cannot begin to describe. There simply aren’t words.”
Lisa added, “Sean’s godmother, Michele, is here with me, and she has truly been in the trenches by my side. We packed, we cried, we packed some more, and we cried some more. I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through these days without her.”
She also gushed about her late son’s circle of friends, who she called “absolutely incredible.”
“They keep stopping by the apartment, bringing food, giving me the biggest hugs, shedding tears with me, and sharing stories about Sean,” Lisa said. “Over and over, I hear how special he was, how much he meant to them, and how he touched their lives.”
She continued, “As his mother, I always knew how wonderful my son was. But hearing it from so many people who knew him in different ways has been one of the greatest comforts during this heartbreaking time.”
In an update on Monday, October 26, Lisa revealed that Sean had donated his heart, lung, liver and kidneys.
“Even in death, our boy is a hero, giving others a second chance at life,” she said. “Please keep the recipients and their families in your prayers. My hope is that they will not only receive the gift of life but someday understand just how special the person was who made that gift possible.”
After two seasons at the University of Maine, Sean transferred to Ohio State where he appeared in 54 games for the Buckeyes from 2017 to 2019.
Following his collegiate career, he played for seven different teams in the ECHL before retiring from professional hockey in 2021.
