Family and friends paid their respects Monday to a Pennsylvania State Police trooper who was killed on the job.
Michael Stewart, 26, of the Greensburg Barracks, was killed Friday when the SUV cruiser he was driving collided with a McInchock garbage truck. Stewart would have turned 27 years old next week.
Visitation was held Sunday evening and Monday at the Lopatich Funeral Home in Latrobe.
RELATED:
- Police: Too early to determine fault in Ligonier crash that killed trooper
- Funeral, memorial arrangements announced for Trooper Michael Stewart
An obituary published Friday night says Stewart loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, baseball and especially spending time with his family. Stewart was a graduate of Latrobe High School and enlisted with the state police in 2014.
"I never heard anyone say a bad word about him. He's just one of those people that goes through life that everyone just liked and loved," Jack Kearney, a family friend, said.
Kearney hired Stewart at a young age to work at Steelers training camp, and he watched Stewart grow up into the man Kearney now admires.
"He wanted to be driving the golf carts at training camp. He wanted to be Ben Roethlisberger's bodyguard. He was mature beyond his age," Kearney said.
A Latrobe native, Stewart came back to serve his community.
"He's a good son, brother, good boyfriend, good nephew, good cousin, very, very close-knit family unlike anyone I've ever seen in my life," Kearney said.
The FOP will hold a memorial service at 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, and Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Holy Family Church in Latrobe.
The funeral is expected to draw about 1,000 troopers and police officers from across the state and country.
"Law enforcement in general, when you talk about the thin blue line, is an anecdote people use to talk about it, but I think you'll really get to see the bond that police officers have," said Trooper Steve Limani of the Greensburg Barracks.
Stewart will be buried at Unity Cemetery. The procession route is as follows:
Holy Family Church, Left onto Chestnut Street, Left onto Jefferson Street, Left onto Irving Avenue, Right onto Ligonier Street, Right onto SR 982S, Right onto SR 30W, Right onto St. Vincent's Drive, 2nd exit at roundabout to Monastery Drive, Left onto Unity Cemetary Road, Right into Unity Cemetery.
People can pay their respects and observe the procession along the route. Entrance into the cemetery is reserved for the procession.
TRENDING NOW:
- Pa. Catholic school teacher gets prison time for sexually assaulting 2 female students
- National Ice Cream Day 2017 deals
- Disney reveals Star Wars-themed resort, park expansion
- VIDEO: Parents warn others of virus that can kill newborns from a kiss
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
