El Paso funeral draws widespread response
When 63-year-old Margie Reckard was killed by a gunman who opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, earlier this month, Antonio Basco lost his entire world. So, as the man who felt so alone planned her funeral, he invited the world to join him in remembering his companion of 22 years.
Since then, condolences and orders for flowers have poured in. An overflow crowd was expected at her funeral Friday evening in El Paso.
“He felt like he was going to kind of just be by himself with this whole thing but it’s not so,” Perches Funeral Homes director Harrison Johnson told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The service was moved from one of their funeral homes to La Paz Faith Memorial & Spiritual Center to accommodate the crowd. Johnson, who is also a pastor, said vocalists and musicians also volunteered to help, including a mariachi band. The public is also welcome at Reckard’s burial Saturday morning.
Reckard had children from a previous marriage who traveled from out of town to the funeral, Johnson said. But he said that for Basco, Reckard was “his life, his soul mate, his best friend.” The couple had a car wash business, he said.
“Probably some people have felt like Mr. Tony in a time of death – they felt like they were alone and nobody was around,” Johnson said.
On Tuesday, Perches posted on Facebook a photo of a bereft Basco kneeling by a candlelight memorial. The post welcomed anyone to attend Reckard’s funeral and soon drew thousands of comments and shares. Among them was Kelly Barton, 35, of Tyler, Texas. “I just wanted him to know that he wasn’t alone in it,” she told the AP.
Lisa Cano, 48, posted that she was sending prayers and flowers from California.
“It’s good to be able to be involved and be there emotionally or spiritually for the people who are suffering. It’s just giving us something to do – we want to do something,” she told the AP.
Perches is among local funeral homes offering free services for the 22 people killed.
Johnson said that Basco is “amazed” and “overwhelmed” with the outreach.