PINEVILLE — The family of fallen Pineville firefighter Richard Sheltra is known to be deeply rooted in its faith.
Sheltra’s funeral will be Saturday at Forest Hill Church in SouthPark, a church he attended.
Sheltra, 20, will be laid to rest with full firefighter honors while other details are still being worked out, said a department spokesperson.
The Rev. Jonathan Scott said the Sheltra family has been members of the church for about 10 years. Scott said as a child Sheltra was part of the ministry’s Advance Group, which helps youth develop their faith. In addition, he said Sheltra’s family participated in a couple of mission trips to Haiti.
“That separation, losing a child -- our heart goes out to the family,” Scott said. “We hope that they know how much they are deeply loved by us. We want to be able to walk alongside them not just now but in the days and months ahead.”
The South Park campus has at least 4,000 members. Scott said he didn’t personally know the Sheltra family well. Still, he too is left processing the loss. He talked about how he recalled seeing the Pineville Fire Department respond to the particular fire Saturday night.
“We were on the way home and we passed by the fire trucks,” Scott said. “I didn’t think anything of it and then realized, oh my goodness. The fire that the trucks were going to, that was where Richard tragically lost his life.”
Scott said he broke the tragic news to his congregation during Sunday services.
“You could hear gasps in the congregation,” Scott said. “Whether they knew the family or just the fact that a special life has been lost. Twenty years old. That’s just a tragedy.”
Scott said the sanctuary where Saturday’s service will be held has approximately 1,900 seats. He anticipates each seat will be filled.
Meanwhile, other fire departments continue to offer services for the Pineville Fire Department. On Monday, members helped the grieving department clean the fire engine that will carry Sheltra's casket.
"He was a hero for what he did," Scott said. "It's a reminder what these civil servants do."
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