'Exceptional' Summit Native Edwin Roman Remembered By Community

Summit NJ

22 October, 2020

1:14 PM

Description

SUMMIT, NJ — Edwin Roman was known by anyone who ever met him as a high-spirited human being who was defined by his infectious wit and humor. Now, just four days after the 26-year-old Summit native died from heart defect that he also shared with his twin brother, more than $52,000 has been raised to help his family. Roman, who became a staple as a nearly omnipresent behind-the-counter employee at Village Trattoria, where he had worked with his brother, Edward, died on Sunday. Details surrounding his death have not been made public, and the organizer of a GoFundMe effort set up earlier this week to assist with funeral expenses and other costs told Patch on Thursday that that family is not yet ready to made any public comments about Roman's passing at this time. "Many of us are still hurting over the news of our beloved friend, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, son, classmate, neighbor and colleague Edwin Roman," organizer Jason Mendez wrote on the GoFundMe page set up in Roman's memory. "Edwin was an exceptional, funny, witty, caring, and high-spirited human being. We will all miss Edwin dearly." Roman's death comes three years after his mother, Regina Holmes, died in 2017 at age 46. She, like both of her sons, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart defect that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. The condition does not typically show up until those who suffer from the defect are in their 40s. But in the case of both Edwin and Edward Roman, it hit much earlier. Both brothers received a left ventricular assist device that helps the heart properly pump blood to the rest of the body. After Edward underwent the procedure in December 2018, Edwin — who was born 60 seconds ahead of Edward, according to a profile of the two brothers last year by NJ.com — Edwin served as his brother's primary caretaker. He picked up extra shifts working at Village Trattoria, where his boss characterized Edwin as a workaholic after he would put in a series of 12-hour shifts at the restaurant without taking days off. A previous GoFundMe campaign to help the brothers raised more than $132,000 to battle a condition that Edwin told NJ.com he and his brother "don't think about it much" as "it is what it is" as the two brothers continued to look out for one another until Edwin's death earlier this week. "We were there for each other more than anybody else," Edwin said in the newspaper story. Edwin Roman is survived by his brother, sister and father.