Drew Hassenbein, 14, tennis prodigy who died in crash, eulogized at Roslyn temple

Drew Hassenbein was much more than a nationally ranked tennis prodigy, according to those who spoke Sunday at his funeral service at Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn, where hundreds of grieving relatives and friends came to bid farewell to the 14-year-old whose life ended in a crash with a wrong-way driver last week.

Drew may have been a fierce competitor on the tennis court, family and friends said, but he was sweet, thoughtful and hilarious off it, with a poise well beyond his years. He loved good food, the Mets, fantasy football, and basketball, they said. He developed deep and special bonds with everybody in his world, from his grandparents to teammates. Some of the mourners who eulogized Drew said he was their best friend.

“He was cool. He was the best,” said Drew’s grandfather, Jack Hassenbein, who said the boy’s death has left a permanent scar on his heart.

Drew was recruited by Duke, Michigan, Harvard and other major universities — even though he was only in the eighth grade — and many of the mourners wondered why a boy with such remarkable emotional maturity and athletic ability was cut down at such an early age.

“Dear Drew, I used to be a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason,” his sister Sydney said through sobs. “However, God didn’t do this on purpose this time. This wasn’t part of his plan. You were taken too early. All of your accomplishments so far were just a preview of the extremely bright future you had ahead of you.”

Added Drew’s mother, Jaime Hassenbein: “We will never understand why you were taken from us.”

Drew was killed along with fellow 14-year-old Roslyn tennis player Ethan Falkowitz in a crash while in an older teammate’s 2019 Alfa Romeo, on their way home after a tennis match victory.

The Alfa Romeo was struck by a Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by accused drunken driver Amandeep Singh, 34, of Roslyn, who was driving south in the northbound lanes of North Broadway in Jericho, according to Nassau County police.

Singh was arrested after he tried to flee the scene of the crash and was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, two counts each of second-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault, leaving the scene of an auto accident with a fatality and driving while intoxicated. He is scheduled to return to Nassau County Criminal Court on Monday.

A funeral service was held for Ethan on Friday at Temple Sinai.

The two other teens in Wednesday’s crash, who were identified by police only as the 17-year-old driver and a 16-year-old passenger, were hospitalized in stable condition with internal injuries. Nassau authorities did not have information on their conditions Sunday.

At the funeral service, many of the mourners talked about Drew’s ferociously competitive drive.

“He was one of my favorite players to coach and I’m not just saying that,” said Jessie Winter of Level Up LI, who coached Drew in basketball when the boy was in grade school, in an interview outside the temple. “Just a bright kid, a very bright soul, and just an unbelievable future. He just had a contagious personality, and you can’t teach that.”

Tennis coach Adrian Chirici called Drew “an amazing little kid who, when presented with a challenge, would turn into a beast.” He said that Drew gave him a notepad recently that included a note that summed up the boy’s sense of humor and the depth of their relationship.

‘Thank you for being my coach,” the note said. “If I had a different coach I would punch him in the face and go find you.”

Drew’s father, Mitch Hassenbein, remembered the countless hours he spent shuttling his son to tennis practices and tournaments and his son’s humility even after he became the No. 1-ranked player in the country in the Boys 12 and Under Division. Drew’s nickname — “Hollywood” — fit his son because Drew commanded attention and took over any room he entered, Mitch Hassenbein said.

“You were a real-life superstar,” the father said at the funeral service. “I looked up to you.”

Although Drew had big league athletic talent, his sister reminded mourners that he was still just a child when he died.

“If you guys knew Drew, you know he loved these four stuffed animals,” Sydney Hassenbein said. “A week ago, we were all sitting at the dinner table and he said, when I die make sure they go in my grave …. Those four will be right next to you, I wish I could be too. Come home Drew, I miss you.”