Devon Cooley Memorial Services Fund
Donation protected
Devon Cooley, our family member, was taken from us on May 27, 2016 when he slipped from his friend’s grip and was pulled into the rushing waters of Chisholm Creek. Immediately following this tragic incident, local fire and police departments, along with search and rescue teams searched diligently for Devon. Even with their best of efforts, the search was unsuccessful for over a week.
On Thursday, June 2nd we celebrated what would have been Devon’s 12th birthday without him, releasing hundreds of balloons into the Wichita sky. Many family members, friends, teachers and supporters from the community joined in his birthday celebration. Although at this time Devon was still missing, his spirit, our love for him and the desire to find him lived on.
On Saturday, June 4th two civilian kayakers on the Arkansas River spotted a body in a tree. Once on scene it took firefighters approximately one hour to extricate the body from the tree. After receiving the phone call that a body had been found, our hearts sank, as we began rushing over to the scene. With a variety of mixed emotions, we sadly, yet with some closure, identified the body, as Devon Cooley.
We come to you today to ask for help in putting Devon to rest and to celebrate his short, but wonderful life. We, the Cooley family, plan to have two different memorial services to help honor and remember this remarkable young man. One will be a private service, where only family members can attend. The second, will entail a service that is open to the public, so that his friends, teachers and the community of Wichita can pay tribute to his short, yet inspiring life. Donations made to this GoFundMe Project will help to alleviate the cost of his memorial services and may include, but are not limited to flowers, funeral home expenses, memorial/ceremony expenses, and/or any other costs entailed to start a water safety course for children.
Today, we received confirmation from the coroner’s office that the body found on June 4th was in fact Devon Cooley. At this point in time, we are beginning the early stages of planning for his funeral and memorial services. We ask that you please visit www.devoncooley.com as this will be the official memorial website for young, Devon Cooley. Once the services have been completed, it is our hope that we are able to organize some sort of Swift Water Safety Course for children, especially those within Devon’s age range. Again, www.devoncooley.com will be the official site to learn more about our hopes and dreams to try to bring a positive light to this devastating tragedy.
We thank you for not only your donations, but your time, efforts and compassion as we begin the grieving process.
On Thursday, June 2nd we celebrated what would have been Devon’s 12th birthday without him, releasing hundreds of balloons into the Wichita sky. Many family members, friends, teachers and supporters from the community joined in his birthday celebration. Although at this time Devon was still missing, his spirit, our love for him and the desire to find him lived on.
On Saturday, June 4th two civilian kayakers on the Arkansas River spotted a body in a tree. Once on scene it took firefighters approximately one hour to extricate the body from the tree. After receiving the phone call that a body had been found, our hearts sank, as we began rushing over to the scene. With a variety of mixed emotions, we sadly, yet with some closure, identified the body, as Devon Cooley.
We come to you today to ask for help in putting Devon to rest and to celebrate his short, but wonderful life. We, the Cooley family, plan to have two different memorial services to help honor and remember this remarkable young man. One will be a private service, where only family members can attend. The second, will entail a service that is open to the public, so that his friends, teachers and the community of Wichita can pay tribute to his short, yet inspiring life. Donations made to this GoFundMe Project will help to alleviate the cost of his memorial services and may include, but are not limited to flowers, funeral home expenses, memorial/ceremony expenses, and/or any other costs entailed to start a water safety course for children.
Today, we received confirmation from the coroner’s office that the body found on June 4th was in fact Devon Cooley. At this point in time, we are beginning the early stages of planning for his funeral and memorial services. We ask that you please visit www.devoncooley.com as this will be the official memorial website for young, Devon Cooley. Once the services have been completed, it is our hope that we are able to organize some sort of Swift Water Safety Course for children, especially those within Devon’s age range. Again, www.devoncooley.com will be the official site to learn more about our hopes and dreams to try to bring a positive light to this devastating tragedy.
We thank you for not only your donations, but your time, efforts and compassion as we begin the grieving process.
Organiser and beneficiary
Michael Cooley
Organiser
Wichita, KS
David Cooley
Beneficiary
