'I'll always remember her with open arms to all of us and being a very positive light'

Mourners line up outside Edgerly Funeral Home and down South Main Street to pay their last respects to Drew Ceppetelli on Monday. (Rochester Voice photo; inset/courtesy)

ROCHESTER - Hundreds turned out under a brilliant sky on an unseasonably warm late November afternoon to mourn the passing of a young Barrington woman who made such an indelible impression on so many.
Drew Ceppetelli, 21, a student at Salve Regina University and captain of their softball team, died early Thanksgiving morning in a crash at the Portsmouth traffic circle.
Ceppetelli, a graduate of Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, was one of six people in a 2018 Porsche Macan that rolled over several times in an accident at the junction of the Route 1 Bypass South and the traffic circle around 1:15 a.m.
As teammates on her softball team stood in line outside Edgerly Funeral Home to pay their last respects, they reflected on her unbridled positivity that shined its light on the entire team.
"I'll always remember her with open arms to all of us and being a very positive light," said Kaitlyn Bennett, who played infield. "I will always remember her as a shining light on all of us, and that smile. She got us through a lot of tough stuff. She was always there for us."
Anna Mihalek, a pitcher, said she often went out and practiced with the outfielders and got to know Ceppetelli very well.
"When I was pitching and she was out playing behind me I always knew she had my back," Mihalek said. "She was always so happy to be with everyone on the team; she was never in a bad mood."
Drew always wanted everyone one the team to have a good time and feel included, first-baseman and outfielder Abbie Mcdonough said.
"She was such a leader on and off the field," Mcdonough added. "She was a really important part of the team."
Maybe that's why the team voted her in as a captain last year.
"I think from the start she was one of the best leaders on the team," said infielder Wiss Chiappetta. "She was always positive no matter what was happening with the team, and I remember last year when we were going for captains I texted her and told her to get up there. And I'm sad that she didn't get to finish her season as a captain."
Shauna Mulkerin, Salve Regina's head softball coach, said the entire team was heartbroken.
"She was truly one of a kind and lit up every room she walked into," Mulkerin said. "She was our backbone, an incredible leader, teammate and friend."
"[Ceppetelli] will never know how much of an impact she had on every person that was lucky enough to be part of her life," Mulkerin added. "We miss her deeply already but know she will still be with us this season."
A funeral for Ceppeteilli will be held at St. Mary Church at 71 Lowell St. in Rochester at 11 a.m. today, followed by the burial at Rochester Cemetery and a Celebration of Life at Smokey's Tavern on Route 11 in Rochester.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a fund created for Drew's special pal, Nathaniel. Checks can be made payable either to Melissa Ceppetelli or to Nathaniel Hartigan and mailed to: Holy Rosary Credit Union, 133 Brock St., Rochester, NH 03867 or 100 Small Rd Barrington NH 03825