Dad takes late son's girlfriend to prom, one month after fatal crash

Amber South | (Chambersburg, Pa.) Public Opinion

MERCERSBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania father who wanted his late son's girlfriend to experience the prom accompanied her to the high school dance Saturday, a month after his son died.

Carter Brown, 19, died April 15 in a three-vehicle crash in Huntingdon, Pa. He had crossed into the opposing lane of traffic and hit the rear driver's side of one car before colliding head-on with another car, according to the Centre Daily Times.

Brown didn't really want to go to a high school prom — he was in college — but he was still excited to go because it would make his girlfriend, Kaylee Suders, 18, happy.

That's why Brown's dad, Robert Brown, stepped in to take Suders to her James Buchanan High School senior prom Saturday. He knew his youngest son would still want Suders to go.

May 20: New Jersey high school principal apologizes for 'insensitive' prom tickets

May 14: Caged tiger at Florida high school prom causes uproar

“I think that my husband is incredible. He is just a loving and giving human. He’s truly amazing, he is a gift,” said Kelly Brown, Carter’s mom and Robert’s wife. “I know that, Carter was in college, he wasn’t super excited about going to a high school prom, but he was excited about doing that for Kaylee ... so Rob didn’t like the idea of Kaylee not getting that.”

After staying up much of the night before, Carter Brown traveled from Indiana State University, where he was a freshman studying culinary arts, to surprise Suders, her mom, Christina Nicholas, said. As she was waiting for him to arrive, Suders grew concerned and said he should have been there already. When Nicholas suggested he got stuck in traffic or pulled over, Suders insisted he still should have been there by then.

Soon after, Kelly Brown, Carter's mother, called to tell Suders what happened.

That was a Sunday. By the end of the week, Robert Brown got to thinking that Suders deserved to experience her senior prom, that his son would not want her to miss it, and that he would be the one to take her. By Monday, just more than a week after his son's death, he called the school's principal, Rod Benedick, for approval to attend the prom.

"It meant a lot that he kind of stepped up and took the role, because it was my senior prom and I didn’t want to go any more," Suders said.

May 10: Teen fighting cancer surrounded by love on prom night

May 4: Chinese are OK with Utah teen's controversial cheongsam prom dress

Getting ready for the prom was a family affair. Suders has been staying at the Browns' home most days since Carter Brown died, even sleeping in his room, so most of the prom preparation happened there. Suders also went with Robert Brown to get his tuxedo, her mom said.

“It was overwhelming,” Robert Brown said. “Just the experience of seeing her, in the days prior, getting ready — she seemed to be excited.”

"I think it's really sweet and wonderful and says a lot about Kaylee's relationship too, that she wanted to go with him," Kelly Brown added. "It speaks to how much she is a part of our family and how much we love her."

Suders and Robert Brown went to the prom at Green Grove Gardens in Greencastle, Pa., in Carter Brown's beloved sports car, an Audi TT. They went out for dinner beforehand at T.G.I. Friday's, where the couple went on their first date.

"Whenever we got (to the prom), everyone just thought it was amazing," Suders said.

At the prom, Robert Brown tried his best to fit in with the teens. He wanted the night to be all about Kaylee.

"It takes a special kind of person to step up, especially when they're hurting and going through stuff, too. It's nice he took the initiative to ask her and have a good time," Nicholas said.

April 27: How prom fashion has evolved from ubiquitous gowns to include DIY and gender fluid options

April 24: Prom season is here! How to take those Instagram-perfect photos using your smartphone

Suders and Carter Brown had been dating about a year but had been best friends for about three years.

Carter Brown may have been her daughter's first serious boyfriend, but Nicholas said he was Suders' other half and completed her.

"There's that one person that you know was meant to be for you, and that was her's," Nicholas said.

Suders loved Carter's smile. She loved his patience and his sense of humor. Their favorite thing to do together was driving around and listening to music.

Carter Brown knew he wanted to grow up to work in culinary service ever since he entered and placed in a cake-making contest when he was 11 or 12, Robert Brown said. He even turned his newfound passion into a way to make money, running a small cake-making business with his mom.

Carter Brown was charismatic, too. He could walk into a room full of strangers and walk out knowing everyone, Kelly Brown said. He would lend a hand to anyone who needed it.

"At his service, everyone said the same thing, that he could make you laugh and make you feel good about yourself even if he wasn't in a good spot. It just shows what kind of person he was," Nicholas said.

The Browns have endured more than just a tough month; their oldest son, Christopher Brown, died in September at age 23. It was emotional, but Robert Brown escorting Kaylee to prom gave them something to look forward to.

"We lost Chris in September. Seven months apart, it's an awful lot," Kelly Brown said. "This gave us something to be excited about. So that was also kinda a gift to have something fun to look forward to. It was big deal for all of us."

Follow Amber South on Twitter: @AESouthPO