By Lois Rogers | Features Editor

 Green, as it turns out, had been little Brandon Joseph Holt’s favorite color.

Those who knew him said he embraced that color as joyfully and warmly as he embraced his family, friends and indeed, life itself.

And so, in bidding Brandon farewell, his classmates, friends and teachers bedecked the trees on the campus of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, with green ribbons and pinned green ribbons on their uniforms and clothing.

Then, they entered St. Joseph Church, to pray as one in a Mass of Christian Burial with more than 600 faithful for six-year-old Brandon, the son of Ronald and Christine Holt, who was accidentally shot by a 4-year-old playmate who had taken a .22-caliber rifle from his house while the two were outside their Toms River homes April 8.

 The first-grade student in St. Joseph School was pronounced dead at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, April 9.

Throughout the days of grief and mourning which followed, the school and faith community and indeed the community at large, united behind the stricken family. They were at the family’s side for the funeral Mass and the burial that followed.

As Mass got underway, the skirling of a bagpipe could be heard, sending the poignant strains of the beloved Irish melody “Endearing Young Charms” into the air. Many wept as Brandon’s small coffin, draped in a white pall, was escorted into St. Joseph Church by his parents, siblings, family and friends.

Words of Comfort

In a moving homily, Brandon’s pastor, Father G. Scott Shaffer, acknowledged the shock and the pain of the loss and the tragic circumstances that had brought Brandon’s family together with his family of faith.

“We come seeking answers, comfort and consolation,” said Father Shaffer. “We are here in the presence of God and the community to pray,” he said, for Brandon and his family as “we try to listen to the voice of God.”

Father Shaffer urged all struggling with this untimely death to “begin with the basics” by trusting in God and reflecting on the fact that “Brandon’s life was a gift to all of us.”

 “This one little life touched thousands of lives,” said Father Shaffer, who spoke of the spark that was Brandon. Everyone, Father Shaffer said, had a Brandon story. “He was a gift of life to all of us. As he bopped around and did what he did so well, some of us scratched our heads and sighed and said, ‘Oh, Brandon.’”

“Brandon had a special way about him,” said Father Shaffer, who, even as he acknowledged that the child’s very buoyant life had been cut short, encouraged  people to focus on the fact that because of his parent’s decision to donate his organs, their son’s life would go on.

 In a story for the many “little ones” present, Father Shaffer  told of a small pond full of water bugs that go up, one at a time, to the surface where they are transformed into beautiful and free dragonflies with four wings.

“Our little Brandon made the change,” he said. “I’m sure that he’d tell everyone ‘I’ll be ok’ … Brandon’s life goes on and we will never forget him. We’ll live in the light of Christ (knowing) that our Lord Jesus walks with us and one day, in our time, in God’s time, (like Brandon) we’ll go home.”

“To Brandon’s family and friends,” Father Shaffer said, “know how much you are loved … Let us give thanks for the peace the world cannot give. Brandon, be at peace little buddy.”

In a nave overflowing with emotion, as the Mass concluded, more tears fell as Brandon’s big brother, Skylar, 17, eulogized his brother. Skylar thanked the assembly for the support shown the family and spoke of Brandon as “a wonderful kid who made everyone happy. I’m sorry that (we) couldn’t have had more time with him.”

A time to remember

As the congregation slowly left the church, offering condolences to the Holt family in the parking lot as they departed, Michele Williams and the faculty and staff of 50 of St. Joseph School, remained behind for a few moments, reflecting on the gift that was Brandon and the love he felt for the school.

 “This was Brandon’s school and he loved his school and everyone loved him,” Mrs. Williams said. “The first graders are here and they are wearing their uniforms in his honor,” she said as parents and students came over to share mutual consolation.

 “The school community has been outstanding in support of the family,” said Williams. She said there has been strong support as well for the student body, faculty and staff.

“The number of counselors and psychologists who offered to help, even (people with) therapy dogs have called and asked what they could do. Dr. Joseph Colford, psychology professor from Georgian Court University came (quickly) to the school and spent time guiding the teachers, so they were really well prepared,” Williams said.

Counseling and bereavement help will be ongoing, she said before leaving for the burial. “Next week, we’ll be having an evening for parents with the parish bereavement team and we will be doing a special ‘Rainbows’ for the kids.”

The Rainbows program is designed to help foster emotional healing among children, teens and adults grieving a loss from a life-altering crisis. It is available to parishes, schools, religious education and youth programs in the diocese.

The sense of unity and devotion continued as the funeral cortege destined for St. Joseph Cemetery a couple of traffic lights away, assembled. Taking the lead was a Toms River fire truck bearing a giant American flag.

Brandon, folks had said, was particularly fond of the big rigs.

The line of cars following behind was almost as long as the half-mile distance to the cemetery. There, in faith and farewell, a bouquet of some 100 green balloons was released and floated gently skyward.