Hundreds attend funeral for 'hero' killed in fall at Rangers Ballpark

MICHAEL AINSWORTH / Staff Photographer Mourners placed flowers outside Brownwood's Central Fire Station in memory of Shannon Stone, the firefighter who died Thursday after falling while trying to catch a ball at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. By LINDSAY RUEBENS / Staff Writer Published 12 July 2011 01:36 AM Shannon Stone was a hero. He was a hero to the residents of Brownwood, Texas, whose Fire Department he served for 18 years. He was a hero to victims of Texas wildfires and Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. He was a hero to the 40 people he benefited as an organ donor, including one given the gift of sight. But above all, he was a hero to his 6-year-old son, Cooper.

He is a fallen hero, said one of the pallbearers mothers, Debra Kirkland, tearing up as she spoke. The whole community is praying for that family and also for that little boy, Cooper. Hundreds of mourners celebrated Stones life Monday at a funeral in Brownwood, days after he fell and died in a father-son outing at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Thousands more lined five miles of the Central Texas towns streets to pay their respects as a fire engine carried his casket to its resting place. The funeral at First United Methodist Church was closed to the media, but Sgt. Ron Russek II of the Johnson County Sheriffs Department said the uplifting service was a fitting tribute to the 39-year-old loving father and husband. Russek, who knew Stone for 20 years, said the firefighters chaplain read letters and thoughts from family members, most of them about Stones bright personality and love for his family. Stone was known to be inseparable from his son, and Russek said it was mentioned that Stones wife, Jenny, said they didnt have other children because he didnt know if he had enough love in him for another. On Thursday night, the father and son went to a Rangers game in Arlington. They stopped to visit Stones parents, bought a new glove on the way and sat in left field seats behind Josh Hamilton, Coopers favorite player. The All-Star outfielder threw them a foul ball, but the thrill quickly turned tragic when Stone fell. Witnesses said Stone was conscious afterward and fretted about his boy being alone in the stands. He died within an hour. In Phoenix for the All-Star Game, Hamilton said he didnt want to attend the funeral because he didnt feel he belonged in the intimate setting, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Wilson wrote on Twitter that Hamilton plans to meet with the Stone family, but not until enough time has passed. The team was represented at the funeral by president and CEO Nolan Ryan and other executives. After the funeral, 10 firefighters carried Stones simple wooden casket out of the church and placed it in a Brownwood Fire Department fire engine for the eight-mile trip to Jordan Springs Cemetery. The funeral procession included dozens of fire vehicles from neighboring towns, as well as 50 members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of motorcyclists who help escort the funerals of veterans and other heroes. We all realize what a hero he was for our community, said Dana Wheeless, a Brownwood native who rode with the group. I dont know how to put it into words; its just very sad. We lost a great man from our community. The procession passed the fire station on Indian Creek Drive, where Sharon Langley waited a couple of hours in the heat with her children. It was worth it, Langley said. We were showing respect for a man whos given back so much to the community. Stone had been with the Brownwood Fire Department since 1993 and was a lieutenant. He was voted Firefighter of the Year twice by his peers, according to Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes.

The citizens of Brownwood have paid a great tribute to Shannon Stone and his family, the mayor said in a written statement, and we have all been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from across Texas and even the nation. Thousands showed up with banners and flags of all sizes. When the casket went by, Langley said everyone saluted or put their hands on their hearts. It was just silence, Langley said. It was simply a sign of respect. Abilene fire Lt. Greg Goettsch was pitching in with firefighters from the Coleman department and the Texas Forest Service to fill in for their Brownwood colleagues. He said Stones loss affected them all. Theres a reason they call it the brotherhood, he said. If you lose one, you lose one of us. The Associated Press contributed to this report.