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EE
October 5, 2019 – October 11, 2019
‘A GOOD EGG’
Seneca High School Senior Dies in Motor Vehicle Accident; His Parents Recall That He Aspired to Be an Entrepreneur By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer
Photo Submitted
TABERNACLE—The Seneca High School community is grieving over the loss of a 17-year-old student, who passed away suddenly last Sunday as the result of a motor vehicle accident. Jo s e p h E . “Jo ey ” Ba ko s , of Southampton, a senior at Seneca, was killed on Sept. 29 from injuries he sustained when his vehicle hydroplaned on Jackson Road, causing him to lose control and strike a utility pole near the Atco Raceway in Waterford Township, according to his father, Joseph S. Bakos. “He was coming home from work and hit a puddle that he didn’t see until the very last minute, and hydroplaned into the utility pole,” Joseph S. Bakos told this newspaper in an Oct. 1 interview. “It was a flat-out accident.” Lt. David D’Amico, a spokesman for the Waterford Township Police Department, said the accident occurred at around 1:34 a.m. and the victim was transported to Cooper University Hospital in Camden City, where he later died from his injuries. Joey E. Bakos, who his father said aspired to be an entrepreneur, was returning home from his job at Summit Catering, in West Berlin, when the accident occurred. “We told him a year and half before he started to work, that when you go in for an interview, look at the interviewer in the eye, don’t ever break eye contact with them, show them you are focused and want the job,” Joseph S. Bakos said. “Summit Catering is a locally owned business, and the owners’ kids go to Southampton and Seneca schools. The mom, who interviewed my son, told my
wife that he was the only person she ever hired who never broke eye contact with her during the interview process. They loved him so much and treated him like he was a part of their family.” Joseph S. Bakos said his son not only loved his job, but never complained about it and did what he was supposed to do. “The biggest memory we will have of him, that overwhelms any other memory, is that he was a good kid, and a polite kid with perfect manners,” Joseph S. Bakos said. “Every adult loved him.” Joey E. Bakos’ entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic developed when he was just 9-years-old, according to his father. “When he was 9-years-old, we went to a neighbor’s house, and some of us were having a few beers around a bonfire, and at the time, the price of metals was going through the roof,” Joseph S. Bakos said. “After some discussion about the price of metal, Joey asked, ‘Are these cans worth anything?’ He then started going around the local neighborhood streets with a wagon, bagging them up.” Joseph S. Bakos contended his son would often collect five to six bags of cans, over a period of about a month and a half, and then turn them into a local recycler and receive about $55 for them. “He saved that money to get an iPod, to play music,” Joseph S. Bakos said. “He saw the benefits of his work at just 9-years-old. That is when he realized he wanted to own his own business.” Joey E. Bakos, however, eventually stopped collecting cans so that he could pursue soccer, according to his father. “He played soccer for many, many years,” Joseph S. Bakos said. “He played many years of travel soccer, middle See ACCIDENT/ Page 25
ol yearbook. or portrait for the Seneca High Scho Joseph E. “Joey” Bakos takes a seni
INDEX Community........................ 12 Dental Column................... 17 Fall Car Care....................... 8 Fire Prevention.................. 14 Health................................ 17 Here's My Card.................. 20
Hobbyist............................ 19 Opinion.............................. 11 Job Board.......................... 23 Physical Therapy Month.... 18 Scanner............................... 9 Leo the Lion Challenge..... 26 Senior Column................... 12 Local News.......................... 3 Student Lounge................... 7 Marketplace....................... 22 Worship Guide................... 13
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