Some described feeling a dull numbness that follows a deep and personal loss.
A packed church service; grief counselors at Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School, which the two boys attended; and the wistful remembrance of friends were among the outward manifestations of the community's grief. The transient nature of life was underscored by two families, each preparing to bury a child, young boys killed in what the police have termed a tragic accident.
Graeme Preston, 12, and Kevin Clawson, 13, each died of injuries they suffered when a minivan driven by Frederick C. Eckhardt, 84, of Freehold struck them as they were skateboarding Wednesday along Bar Harbor Road.
Both boys were remembered by classmates and their families on Friday, many of whom did not want to give their names.
Others spoke of the grief the deaths have added to a community that has been buffeted by other roadway deaths, notably the three Freehold High School students and the school van driver killed on Jan. 10, 2007, in a horrific crash on Kozloski Road.
Karen Spahn, whose daughter attends Eisenhower Middle School, said that many have expressed shock and sadness at the boys' deaths.
"My daughter told me they'd call Graeme "the shaggy dog,' because of his long hair," she said. "She said he was one of the friendliest kids in the school, always smiling."
On Thursday, an overflow crowd attended a prayer service for the boys at St. Rose of Lima Church on McLean Street in Freehold, said Sharon Erkman, who works at the church's religious education office.
The church holds 650 people, but the crowd that showed up exceeded its capacity, she said.
The police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office have attributed the deaths to a combination of two boys skateboarding in a darkened section of the road while wearing dark clothing. No charges are expected to be filed, police said.
The boys' deaths drew strong reactions, evident from postings to the Asbury Park Press' Web site. In some cases, the opinions were the product of misinformation or rumor, often at odds with what investigators said they had found.
For example, speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin.
Traffic officers continued to take statements from witnesses, even as they tried to tamp down many of the rumors that have circulated about the incident, police Capt. James Lasky said.
One such rumor was that Graeme was still alive, although critically injured.
Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Peter E. Warshaw addressed that issue with the following statement:
"Graeme Preston was pronounced dead (Thursday) afternoon at 3:30 p.m. A death certificate was signed and he is clinically and legally dead."
Warshaw said medical privacy laws precluded him from making any further comment.
Sue McGough, the superintendent of parks and recreation for the township, said she also had fond memories of both boys, adding that they had both been very active in the township's recreation programs.
McGough also addressed questions about the availability of safe skateboarding venues.
Skateboard enthusiasts have long called for increased hours at skate parks as one way of avoiding incidents where skateboarders are hurt or killed on streets.
But McGough said she's not sure whether adding more parks or extending hours at existing ones would make a difference.
Freehold Township has its own skate park in the Michael J. Tighe Park on Georgia Road. It gets a lot of use, McGough said, but not as much as the streets seem to.
The park was not open Wednesday. It is usually closed from December until March because of limited use in cold weather and to allow for maintenance, McGough said.
Sometimes, when the temperature rises above 40 degrees, the township will open it during the months it's normally closed, but that often depends on whether an attendant is available, she said.
"On any given day, I might see 100 kids at the skate park," McGough said. "But as I drive around town, I see kids skateboarding all over the place. The kids tell us they like using the street, jumping the curbs and rails. Parks are not a 100 percent solution."
That preference for the streets worries the police, who say that skateboarders who suddenly dart into traffic face the danger of death or serious injury.
"Kids often can't judge how fast a car is coming at them," said police Lt. Dean Smith, who commands the township's traffic bureau. "They also don't realize how hard it is for people to see them at night when they're wearing dark clothing."
Safety gear is another issue.
At the skate park, kids are required to wear helmets and knee and elbow pads, McGough said. On the street, she said, many don't.
The police said that only one of the boys killed on Bar Harbor Road had a helmet. It was found at the accident scene, Lasky said. Investigators did not know which boy was wearing it, or even if it was being worn.
But to those remembering Graeme and Kevin, those are issues for another day. Their thoughts were elsewhere, on issues of life and death.
"It's kind of hard to concentrate today," said Roberta Santilli, 13.
On Bar Harbor Road, a memorial marks the spot where two young lives ended. A handmade sign reads "Forever in our hearts," followed by signatures of the boys' friends.
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