When 20-year-old Dane Fante passed away in a car accident in February 2018, his mother, Christiana Fante, asked family friend Kevin Loftus to make her a promise.
“She pulled me aside and said, ‘Kevin, we can’t let people forget Dane; don’t let people forget my son,’” Loftus said.
On Friday, May 10, Loftus fulfilled that promise when Moorestown High School renamed its baseball field “Dane Fante Memorial Field.” Fante’s father, Jeff Fante, said seeing his son’s name on the board brought a rush of emotion, and knowing that any future player who comes to MHS will ask who Dane Fante was truly has ensured people won’t forget him.
Baseball was always Jeff’s favorite sport, so as soon as his sons turned 2, he was throwing them wiffle balls in the yard. He said even from an early age, it was clear his son had a knack for the sport, so he got Fante involved in local baseball leagues at the age of 5.
Jeff coached Fante’s team, so they were always the first to arrive at the field and the last to leave. Jeff said Fante was one of the first in his age group to hit home runs. By age 10, Fante knew the talent on the team so well that he was making the lineup.
On the field, he took the sport seriously. William Donoghue, baseball coach at Moorestown High School, said Fante, who played shortstop, could be quiet and reserved. He remembers him always watching closely and trying to learn as much as he could.
Off the field, Fante was the first person to crack a joke. Jeff said his family has always been big on practical jokes, and he never knew what to expect out of Fante. But along with a penchant for humor, Fante also exhibited a deep caring for underdogs. Jeff said when two MHS students made the varsity team at an age some perceived to be too young, they were ignored by nearly everyone on the team, but not Fante. The players later told Jeff that his son welcomed them to the team and made them feel like they earned their spot.
Pizza delivery men used to fight over who got to deliver to the Fante household because, if Dane answered the door, he always let the driver keep the change – even giving a delivery deliver a nearly $30 tip on a $20 pizza bill. On his way to the shore, with only $60 to his and his girlfriend’s name, he readily gave away one third of that money to a person who was down on his luck outside of Wawa.
Loftus’ son, Ryan, was best friends with Dane, so when he got the call about Dane’s passing, he wasted no time and drove to Gettysburg College to pick up Ryan and then drove to the Fante household. A few weeks after, Loftus started thinking about how he could fulfill his promise to Christiana, and so, he reached out to Superintendent Scott McCartney about dedicating the field to Fante.
While they had hoped to dedicate the field last year, the board took some time to deliberate and approve Loftus’ request. Ultimately, it gave the green light in early 2019, and a sign with Fante’s name was added to the scoreboard. The Fante family also donated a pitching machine to the team.
On the day of the unveiling, the forecast didn’t look great, but the skies cleared in time. Jeff said he hadn’t told anyone about the ceremony, and so he was stunned to see so many people had gathered there to honor his son’s legacy.
Loftus said the ceremony was an opportunity to come together as a community and remember Dane.
“It was about the community showing their love for the family and helping [them] create a legacy for Dane,” Loftus said.
Current MHS senior Kevin McCarthy, whose older brother was friends with Dane, wore Dane’s cleats during the game that followed the dedication ceremony. A stickler for style, his cleats were still in perfect condition with “Dane” written on the back of one shoe and “Fante” written on the back of the other. Fante’s number – 25 – was written above both.
The Quakers were down by one against the Haddonfield Bulldawgs when McCarthy went up to bat. He had the game-winning hit in Fante’s shoes.
