Friends recall one-of-a-kind guy
Jade Maher (left) and Tayla Taylor remember their friend and classmate Darrell Ross, Tuesday evening at Connellsville Area High School. Ross was killed in a shooting incident on Nov. 21 in Uniontown.
Mahogany Johnson of Uniontown speaks about her friend, Darrell Ross during a memorial service Tuesday at Connellsville Area High School. Ross was killed in a shooting incident on Nov. 21 in Uniontown.
Jade Maher (left) and Tayla Taylor telling their memories of classmate and friend Darrell Ross. Ross was killed in a shooting incident on Nov. 21 in Uniontown.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
From left, Lewie Lattanzo, Griffin Thompson, Dylan Knopsnider and Neil Gray remember their friend Darrell Ross during a memorial service Tuesday at Connellsville Area High School. Ross was killed in a shooting incident on Nov. 21 in Uniontown.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Family, friends and teammates of Darrell Ross release balloons following a memorial service to his memory at Connellsville Area High School Tuesday. Ross was killed in a shooting incident on Nov. 21 in Uniontown.
CONNELLSVILLE — “Rest easy number 7. Rest easy.”
That was what Jade Maher said at a memorial service Tuesday about his friend and teammate, Darrell Ross.
More than 200 people gathered at Connellsville Area High School to pay tribute and say goodbye to Ross, who was killed Nov. 21 in Uniontown.
“My life changed forever that day. I lost one of the most important people to me. I lost my best friend,” said Mahogany Johnson, 19, of Uniontown.
Johnson’s voice strained before she paused and tried to hold back her tears.
“It’s been almost two weeks without Darrell and I still can’t believe it. I would have never imagined that it was his time,” she said.
Ross’ classmates signed a photo collage dedicated to the popular teenager.
A giant image of Ross, 17, was projected onto a screen at the school’s auditorium. Dressed in a blue shirt, striped tie and khaki Dockers, Ross had a cocky smile on his face with his legs and feet stretched out over a desk at school.
“Darrell, I know you’re up there watching over us. I want to let you know that we all love and miss you brother,” said Maher, 18, a senior, who played football at CAHS with the man on the screen behind him.
Tayla Taylor’s voice nearly broke with emotion as she spoke about the loss of her friend and classmate.
“School will never be the same,” she said. “I’m going to miss him so much, but I know he would want me to keep my head up and shed no tears.”
Taylor described Ross as someone who “always had everyone laughing and smiling.” Taylor’s face lit up as she described how she and Ross would dance every Monday after fourth period at school.
“You were special to me and the bond we had will never be broken,” she said.
Marissa Adams, a senior at CAHS, described Ross as a one-of-a-kind man who walked with confidence.
“I loved to watch him as he would walk down the hallways,” she said. “His head was always high and sturdy. He always had that confidence that oozed off him, something that I wish I had myself. I’ve always been told that the walk you walk represents your personality, who you are. The way he would parade from one location to the next without a doubt showed me how charismatic he was. With every step he took, you could tell he knew exactly where he was going, even if it was in the wrong direction. He walked like the world was his stage and there was always a spotlight on him.”
Adams said Ross had a special kind of humility about him that allowed him to talk to anyone great or small.
“When Darrell talked to you, you always felt like you knew him your whole life,” she said. “Darrell didn’t care if you were the richest person in the world, or what you had to offer him; he always had something to say to you. And nine times out of 10, it was going to be a joke.”
Bobbie Braddock of Brownsville, whose family was close to Ross, spoke about his sense of humor. One anecdote Braddock shared was how after playing baseball in Tennessee, Ross was being served dinner by an attractive waitress at a local restaurant.
“Darrell says to her, ‘What state are we in?’ The waitress said ‘Tennessee.’ He says to her, ‘No — you are the only 10 I see!” said Braddock, whose son Devin, a junior at Brownsville Area High School, was one of Ross’ special friends.
Music set the mood during the memorial service as the CAHS students performed “May our paths meet again” and Sarah Hamman, 17, a Connellsville senior sang “I was here.”
A group of Ross’s teammates wore T-shirts with Ross’ image emblazoned on them.
“He was a loyal friend who always had my back no matter what it was,” said Duston Wiggins, 16, a CAHS sophomore.
Wiggins said he and Ross played basketball together and more. Ross’ favorite subject was women and he liked to make videos, “rap” and sing in the shower, he said.
“After all this time went by and all the time we spent together, he grew on me to be like the brother I never had,” Wiggins said. “I love him and miss him. I’ll never forget him. These memories will always be with me.”
Moments later, Ross’ friends, teammates and members of the community released blue and white balloons into the sky. Memories of Ross will echo an eternity.
“I love you so much. Rest in Peace,” Adams said.