Jesse Edwards-Borowicz

Jesse Vedder Edwards-Borowicz, 15, died in his home on Tuesday, May 21. He was born in Erie on May 14, 1998.

Jesse was a freshman at Mercyhurst Preparatory School. Jesse is remembered as a kind, joyous, and compassionate young man, who loved music, science, travel, big ideas, and being with people.

An accomplished pianist, he had been studying in the studio of Linda Kobler for the past four years. During this time, he participated in the Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival, continuing on to the state-level performance in 2010 and 2011. He participated annually in the National Piano Playing Auditions of the American College of Musicians. Jesse was a 2012 Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania Young Artist. He regularly performed with the Erie Music Teachers' Association recitals, with the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pennsylvania Music Teachers' Association, and, in 2013, in the Steinway Young Artist Honors Recital.

Jesse was a proud alum of Villa Maria Elementary School where he was the recipient of the Pat Locco Award upon graduation in 2012. During his freshman year at Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie, he played piano in the orchestra, was a member of the tennis team and the Speech and Debate team. Jesse was a student of Chinese and he traveled to China in the spring of 2013 with the Pennsylvania International Academy and MPS; Jesse loved the international students and was an informal ambassador to the PIA students at the high school.

Besides China, Jesse's love of travel took him hiking to the base of the Grand Canyon with his father and godfather in 2008, to Spain with his family in 2001 and 2007, and he was about to travel to London in the summer of 2013.

Jesse was a member of Wayside Presbyterian Church, where he participated in Sunday school and the youth mission trip. As a young gay man, Jesse found great support at his church and among his friends and family, and he looked forward hopefully to the day when there would be full equality for all.

Jesse is survived by his parents, Alice Edwards and James Borowicz, his loyal sister, Maia; his maternal grandmother, Virginia Edwards; his paternal grandparents, Norbert and Rita Borowicz; on his mother's side, his aunts and uncles, Elizabeth (Edwards) Steen and William Steen; Virginia (Edwards) Burger and Jeffrey Burger; John Edwards and Diana Hume George, and cousins Andrew Steinmetz, Sarah Steen and Diehl Edwards. He is survived on his father's side by aunts and uncles Jon Borowicz; Josh Borowicz and Julie Daniels, Eric and Jackie Borowicz, Neil Borowicz and Claudia Fulks, Alex and Margo Borowicz; Andre and Gina Borowicz; Elizabeth (Borowicz) and Eric Ellison, and cousins Stefan and Zoe Daniels; Xavier and Asa Borowicz; Sarah, Emma, Kate and Robert Borowicz; Mason and Kellen Borowicz; Daphne and Trevor Borowicz; and Sam and Eli Ellison. He is preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, the Reverend John Vedder Edwards and his paternal uncle Stephen Borowicz.

Visiting hours will be at Burton Funeral Home, 602 W. 10th (and Cherry) on Thursday, May 23, from 7-9pm; Friday, May 24 from 2-4pm and 7-9pm. A funeral service will be held at Wayside Presbyterian Church, 1208 Asbury Road, at 11:00am on Saturday, May 25. Donations can be made to the Mercyhurst Preparatory School Scholarship Fund, 538 E Grandview Blvd Erie, PA 16504.