Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Aaron Feis’ funeral :
More than 1,000 people attended the funeral of Aaron Feis, a Stoneman Douglas assistant football coach and security guard. Running down a hallway during the shooting, Feis pushed some students to safety and shielded a ninth-grade girl behind him. “She’s telling the players, ‘Coach Feis saved my life,’ ” said Willis May, the school’s head football coach. “That was him. That’s exactly who he was.”
CORAL SPRINGS — A beloved assistant football coach and lifelong Stoneman Douglas Eagle who always put the kids first – up until his final moments when he shielded students from gunfire – Aaron Feis was remembered as a hero by the 1,000-plus people who attended his funeral Thursday morning.
Feis was one of the 17 killed in the Parkland shooting last week. Another 16 were injured. A school security guard, the 37-year-old ran into the building where the attack was happening and jumped between a student and the gunman, pushing her out of harm’s way.
At Coral Springs’ Church by the Glades, friends and family remembered the coach, affectionately referred to as “Feis,” for his bravery and dedication to the students.
Feis’ popularity in the community was evidenced by the sheer number of people who came to his funeral, which included Gov. Rick Scott. Before the ceremony, the line stretched around the inside perimeter of the massive church as people continued to pour in, waiting to pay their respects to a man who made an impact on so many lives.
“People called him ‘the mayor of Parkland,’ ” said former coach Mike Virden during the service. “Because if you needed anything or anyone, he was the guy to go to.”
As people made their way inside, the church’s two massive video screens showcased images of Feis standing on the sidelines in full uniform from high school, playing with his young daughter and embracing his wife on their wedding day.
Clad in black and maroon jerseys, Stoneman Douglas football players filed in two by two to the front of the church where 17 candles – one in honor of every victim – lined the back of the stage. Six of his offensive linemen served as pallbearers for the ceremony.
Feis was the epitome of Stoneman Douglas. A 1999 alum, he played center for the Eagles from 1995-98, wearing the number 73. He returned to his alma mater in 2002 as an assistant coach and also served as the team’s college recruiting coordinator. Head coaches came and went during his tenure, but whenever someone new was brought in, they always wanted Feis on staff.
“Everybody wanted him,” said Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who previously coached with Feis. “Everybody needed him. He was the connection to the kids. Kids would do more for Feis then for others. Why? Because, they didn’t want to let Feis down. They had his six, because they knew he had theirs. He loved the football players.’
“He just wanted to be an Eagle. He had a lot of opportunities; he could have gone to other schools that would have helped him more financially. But Feis was and is an Eagle.”
Israel, whose sons played for Feis, cited the coach’s courage and bravery, adding there was no doubt Feis would do anything in his power to protect the students.
“Before you even heard how he died, you knew he died putting himself in harm’s way to save others,” Israel said. “That’s who he was — running toward danger, while others were correctly running away from it. Feis had no gun, no rifle; yet he ran toward [the gunfire] helping students.”
Bagpipes played “Amazing Grace” near the end of the ceremony as his players carried him out through the front of the church.
“It’s amazing the impact that man had,” Virden said. “He’s the least-paid employee at Douglas High School. He was given so little and gave so much. Way before the 14th, Aaron Feis has been a hero to many people for a long time. And the beauty of today and the 14th is the whole world gets to know that now.”