Hundreds of University students gathered at the Theta Chi house Tuesday night to honor Jimmy Gracey, a 20-year-old UA student who died in Barcelona last weekend while visiting friends.
The vigil brought a crowd that spilled across the lawn in front of the house as friends and fraternity brothers remembered Gracey through speeches, prayer and a slideshow of photos playing behind them. It came a day after a memorial service was held for Gracey at the St. Francis of Assisi University Parish.
“We’re truly grateful to be part of a community that shows up,” said Cavin McLay, president of the University’s Theta Chi chapter.
Throughout the evening, speakers returned to the same image of Gracey again and again. They spoke about his smile, his kindness and how he carried himself around other people.
Justin Ferguson said Gracey had a way of making people feel seen. He said Gracey greeted people wherever he went and brought an easy energy into the house.
“Jimmy was always smiling,” he said. “Just a big smiler.”
Ferguson also recalled Gracey’s role in helping build a Bible study inside the fraternity house. What started small grew quickly, he said, drawing more brothers in over time.
Reagan McCloskey spoke about being with Gracey during the last days of his life in Barcelona, telling the crowd he was grateful for the memories they were able to make together before Gracey’s death. His remarks were among the most emotional of the night.
Across the speeches, one theme each speaker addressed during the night was Jimmy Gracey’s faith. Each speaker said it shaped the way he lived, whether that be the way he cared for people around him or to the example he set inside the house. Gracey served as the chapter’s chaplain before his death.
After the vigil, Toby Roth, international president of Theta Chi and a UA alumnus from the chapter, said the response from the fraternity reflected the kind of brotherhood Gracey believed in.
“We talk a lot about brotherhood and the fraternity experience, and words don’t mean a lot. Actions mean everything” he said.
McLay also thanked the public for its support, along with media coverage during the search for Gracey. He said donations linked through Theta Chi Alabama’s Instagram bio would go toward funeral, memorial and related expenses.
“I ask you to find strength in the memories Jimmy gave us,” he said.
