Family and friends say goodbye to Pascagoula teen, athlete
PASCAGOULA — Family and friends celebrated "the life of a
champion" as they said goodbye to Brandon Rich, 18, on a dreary Saturday
morning.
A packed Union Baptist Church filled with young mourners who filed by their classmate, friend and teammate as gospel music played.
Rich, a senior at Pascagoula High School, died Sunday in a water skiing accident.
A photo of him in his football uniform along with a team photo was displayed in a flower arrangement at the front of the sanctuary.
Coaches shared stories of Rich's accomplishments on the field and the court. Football coach Lewis Sims recalled the game against Picayune when Rich had two interceptions, including one with 12 seconds left in the game.
"I have the image of him going about 10 feet in the air for the ball and cradling it as he came down," Sims said. "We say we'll be teammates for a season, but we'll be brothers for a lifetime and family always...He'll always be a part of the Panther Nation."
Basketball coach Tony Combs told about a game against Biloxi when Rich told him, "just let me handle the bar and I'll take care of it."
"He was a young man who touched my heart and I'll never forget him," Combs said. "I was proud to have known him and to have been a part of his life."
Ministers read from Psalms 23 and Mark 10, and the Union Choir sang "Just a Little Talk With Jesus" and other hymns.
"Brandon has brought us together," said Geraldine Barnes, who read notes from the family thanking everyone for their support. They included a thank you to personnel involved in the search for Rich.
Rich's friend and teammate, Caleb Sweeten, 15, also drowned Sunday. Services were held Wednesday for Sweeten.
The two were knee boarding in the Pascagoula River when they were swept under a barge by a strong current.
JOHN FITZHUGH/SUN HERALD Mourners console each other before Brandon Rich's funeral at Union Baptist Church in Pascagoula on Saturday May 11, 2013.
A packed Union Baptist Church filled with young mourners who filed by their classmate, friend and teammate as gospel music played.
Rich, a senior at Pascagoula High School, died Sunday in a water skiing accident.
A photo of him in his football uniform along with a team photo was displayed in a flower arrangement at the front of the sanctuary.
Coaches shared stories of Rich's accomplishments on the field and the court. Football coach Lewis Sims recalled the game against Picayune when Rich had two interceptions, including one with 12 seconds left in the game.
"I have the image of him going about 10 feet in the air for the ball and cradling it as he came down," Sims said. "We say we'll be teammates for a season, but we'll be brothers for a lifetime and family always...He'll always be a part of the Panther Nation."
Basketball coach Tony Combs told about a game against Biloxi when Rich told him, "just let me handle the bar and I'll take care of it."
"He was a young man who touched my heart and I'll never forget him," Combs said. "I was proud to have known him and to have been a part of his life."
Ministers read from Psalms 23 and Mark 10, and the Union Choir sang "Just a Little Talk With Jesus" and other hymns.
"Brandon has brought us together," said Geraldine Barnes, who read notes from the family thanking everyone for their support. They included a thank you to personnel involved in the search for Rich.
Rich's friend and teammate, Caleb Sweeten, 15, also drowned Sunday. Services were held Wednesday for Sweeten.
The two were knee boarding in the Pascagoula River when they were swept under a barge by a strong current.
JOHN FITZHUGH/SUN HERALD Mourners console each other before Brandon Rich's funeral at Union Baptist Church in Pascagoula on Saturday May 11, 2013.
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