.
Feedback

Balloons Fly To Celebrate Dylan Hockley's Life

Families, friends and the community remember Hockley, a 6-year-old victim of the Dec. 14 Sandy Hook School shooting, at Bethel's Walnut Hill Community Church.


Dylan Christopher Jack Hockley was a British emigrant who "couldn't wait to move to America," according to the UK's Telegraph newspaper. His life was taken Dec. 14, during the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. According to the Connecticut Post, he died in teacher Anne Marie Murphy's arms. 

On Friday, his parents, Ian and Nicole Hockley, took in family, friends and the community to celebrate his life in a memorial service at Bethel's Walnut Hill Community Church. About 600 mourners attended, according to church communication director Lisa Siedlecki.

After the service, Dylan's brother Jake stood between his parents and released 25 purple and white balloons for victims of the shooting — and then one final one for Dylan. As mourners watched, the New York / New Jersey Port Authority Pipe Band performed "Amazing Grace."

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Bethel Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Loading comments ...
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Eric T Gray May 17, 2013 at 03:54 pm
Jessica, what do you mean 'when society lets them down'? I'm struggling to understand what you areRead More trying to convey... Please elaborate if you can.
Most Popular Poster May 17, 2013 at 02:03 pm
"Bethel teachers are not only educating students, but when society lets kids down, it’sRead More teachers who step in to fill the gap." Explain to me how an average salary of $60,000 per year for working 183 days during that year and an EXTREMELY generous retirement package (compared to the 240 a year the rest of us have to work) considered "society letting them down"?
Most Popular Poster May 17, 2013 at 09:42 am
It was a great job Mike and the EDC did on keeping the jobs from Cannondale from leaving Bethel. TooRead More bad Paul Z. won't have the guts to ask you about it on this "lively" show.
Princess Pea May 17, 2013 at 12:26 am
Billy: Since I don't own a beat up 1998 Honda (rather, a non-beat up, rather nice, rather newRead More European sedan) does that mean I would have been immune to the seduction of the reduction in my property taxes? Just trying to follow your logic here...