Hundreds Gather For Final Farewell To Flight For Life Pilot
DILLON, Colo. (CBS4) - Maybe it was the 21 gun salute -- Patrick Mahany deserved that honor, serving as a scout pilot in Vietnam, awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Or maybe it was the Flight For Life helicopters flying in formation overhead -- Mahany likewise deserved that after saving hundreds of lives while piloting dangerous, high altitude conditions for 27 years.
But most likely it was the hundreds of people who showed up to pay their final respects that best demonstrate what Colorado lost when Patrick Mahany died last week.
The cause of that fiery crash moments after taking off from St. Anthony's Hospital in Frisco remains a mystery. Two other crew members remain hospitalized, with burns and other injuries.
Patrick Mahany's son, Ryan, told the crowd at the Dillon Amphitheatre he believes his father died trying to save the lives of the other people on board the helicopter.
It is a tragic end to a life of a man that touched so many hearts.
Mahany flew Flight For Life missions for nearly three decades. His colleagues say his attention to safety and doing things by the book, combined with his larger than life personality, made working alongside Mahany an honor.
Ryan Mahany struggled with his eulogy for his father. A man who not only cared about his family and his community, but loved his country and his lord.
"His family will tell you Patrick Mahany would have loved a crowd this size, his jokes were a staple around the flight for life hangers over the years," Ryan said.
"He always did have a huge laugh, had a huge heart, would want me to try to introduce a little levity in this situation," he continued.
Before the crash even happened, the flight for life family was already mourning Mahany, as he was set to retire this fall. It would have left a huge hole, but this tragedy left a crater.
Hundreds of first-responders escorted his body on Friday from the hospital in Frisco to the Dillon Amphitheatre for the outdoor memorial service. Along the way, drivers were spotted pulling off the side of the road, waving American flags with tears pouring down their cheeks.
"Your legacy will endure forever," Ryan said. It's a legacy forged in helping others, something Mahany was born to do.
"Patrick Mahany, you may stand down. End of watch."
Following the memorial service and Catholic mass, people gathered at Copper Mountain Resort to continue to honor a man who left a lasting legacy in the High County.
Patrick Mahany 1950-2015.
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.
