Midshipman, 20, dies of meningitis complications

A local Naval Academy midshipman who was known for his faith, focus and sense of humor will be remembered today at his funeral at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Md.

Midshipman Fourth Class Frederick Henry Eissler, 20, of West Chester, died Monday of Neisseria meningitis, an academy news release said.

"Fred possessed a great attitude and treated the Naval Academy as a giant family, which made him beloved by his shipmates," his company officer, Lt. William Lehner, said yesterday. "He came from a tight-knit family with high values and applied them here on a day-to-day basis."

Eissler, who received a meningococcal vaccine when he entered the academy in July, became ill Nov. 12, the Navy news release said. He was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center for treatment of possible meningitis and transferred "for further care" to the University of Maryland Medical Center, where he died, the release said.

The vaccine covers nearly 70 percent of the possible agents that can cause meningitis but does not protect against the strain Eissler contracted, the release said.

Eissler, a 2007 graduate of Archmere Academy in Claymont, Del., attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School for a year before joining the Naval Academy's Class of 2012 in July.

Michael Burdziak, who chairs the religion department and coaches football at Archmere, described Eissler as a respectful, disciplined, fun-loving student "of solid faith" who was eager to follow his father's footsteps to Annapolis.

Eissler's father, Frederick A. Eissler, graduated from the academy in 1983, an academy representative said.

Eissler, who played football all four years, came from a strong religious background and "adhered to those principles," Burdziak said.

Eissler's father and mother, Helene, graduated from Archmere in 1979. The oldest of Eissler's four younger sisters also attends the school. More than 100 people attended a memorial service and Mass at the school Tuesday night, Burdziak said.

"Physically, he was imposing - a big, strapping redhead," Burdziak said.

He said Eissler's strength in other areas, such as his loyalty to family and friends, had been quieter, with one exception.

"He would always have a strong, hearty laugh," Burdziak recalled.

Asked why he had came to the Naval Academy, Eissler cited the education, his goal of becoming an F/A-18 pilot, and his desire "to give back to his country," said Lehner, the 22d Company officer.

He said Eissler was the second Philadelphia-area academy freshman to die this year.

On May 5, Kristen Dickmann, a 19-year-old 2007 Unionville High School graduate, was found unconscious by her roommates and rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Nearly two months later, the Medical Examiner's Office blamed the death on an abnormal heart rhythm.