MACON, Ga. — The West Laurens High School community is mourning the loss of a beloved student. Daniel Holmes was a special education student who was expected to graduate this year. Now, the community is stepping up to give Daniel a fitting farewell.
On Wednesday, friends and family of Daniel Holmes gathered at West Laurens High School, all saying how much they loved him. They said he was full of joy and always knew how to make somebody laugh.
"He not only was full of life and joy, but he wanted those around him to be full of life and joy," said Brittney Faircloth, one of Holmes' teachers.
"He treated everyone like they should be treated, every day," said Kimberly Holmes, his aunt.
He was also a ladies' man, always flirting with the girls.
"Any girl he passed by, he would wink, blow a kiss, or both," said Ava Geyer, a student at West Laurens High School.
"Once he would hug me, he would find my husband at his classroom and look at my husband while he was hugging me and say, 'Are you jealous?'" said Chynell Way, a teacher at West Laurens High School.
They added he always loved to pick on the guys, too.
"He always loved wrestling me a lot. He would arrest me from time-to-time," said Sgt. Bobby Brentley, a resource officer at the school. "He would say, 'You jealous?' and we'd wrestle some more."
When he passed away this past Sunday, it came as a shock to many in the community. His family posted on Facebook, saying they were making dinner plates, hoping to raise money for his burial. The Laurens County community immediately jumped into action.
"It's heartbreaking," Faircloth said. "It was sad to make me know we had to raise money, but then again, this gives us, the community, one last time to rally for him."
A GoFundMe was made for the funeral and burial. People have donated over $2,000. Then, over $4,600 has been donated directly to Serenity Funeral Home in Dublin.
"We had no doubt that if we got it out there, we could get the community involved. That's just how known he was in the community," said Kim Henry, who used to work at the school.
His mom says the family never imagined receiving this much.
"I knew Daniel was well-loved, but we just didn't expect the help we've been getting, and we just want to thank everybody," said April Smith, Daniel's mom.
Daniel's mom says if you'd like to make a donation, you can contact Serenity Funeral Home or donate on their GoFundMe.
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