Friends, family mourn loss of three local men

An infectious, carefree smile and jovial attitude: that is how many Sewanhaka High School students will remember Naquan Bell, 21, and Bell's uncle, Brendon McRae, 24, who were both Sewanhaka students. Bell and McRae died in a car accident on Sunday, Feb. 13, along with friend Stanley Sagesse, 23, a Uniondale graduate and Hempstead resident. The three young men were heading home from a birthday gathering, when they struck a bridge embankment on the eastbound side of the Southern State Parkway.

McRae, the driver, and Sagesse, the front-seat passenger, were killed instantly. Bell was rushed to the Nassau University Medical Center in critical condition, and died shortly after due to sustaining injuries.

Laurence Reid, Sewanhaka’s football coach and social studies teacher, said McRae and Bell were widely known for athletic abilities at Sewanhaka, particularly their talents on the football field. However, he said, their personalities have made the biggest mark on the community. “Quannie,” as Bell’s friends and family knew him, was loving and energetic, Reid said. “It filled me with a sense of pride to watch him pick up my oldest daughter after football victories, and call her ‘Little Reid,’” he added.

McRae was competitive and compassionate, which showed in his work at the Winthrop-University Hospital, in the transportation department. He took immense pride in helping patrons of the hospital, Reid said. “When my second daughter was born at Winthrop Hospital, Brendon was there. He hugged me in congratulations and was genuinely honored to be part of my family’s special day,” he said.

Sagesse and McRae worked together at Winthrop Hospital, where the staff said they will be enormously missed.

“As members of our Winthrop family, Brendon and Stanley were associates for the Winthrop Express, where they worked diligently and with great pride, ensuring that patients were safely transported throughout the hospital … always with a smile,” said John Broder, vice president of external affairs and development at Winthrop Hospital.

Reid said McRae and Bell were incredibly close in high school, and continued their friendship long after leaving.

“They both exuded a fierce competitiveness, coupled with an unrelenting desire to win. Their leadership on the football field and the basketball court demanded respect from the other players, and they received it,” Reid said. “I hold countless memories of the both Naquan and Brendon very close to my heart. I loved ‘my boys,’ and I’ll miss them.”

Funeral services for Naquan Bell and Brendon McRae were held on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 12 p.m., at the Emanuel Baptist Church, located at 1880 Pelham St. in Elmont.