COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A memorial service was held on Thursday for a Griffin lineman who was killed after an accident last week.
Eric Weems was killed after an accident during a power project on Spalding Street, where Griffin Police said the equipment used in the project had failed. One of his colleagues was also injured in the incident and is in critical but stable condition.
The memorial service happened at Griffin First Assembly on McIntosh Road at 11 a.m. A procession was held at 10 a.m. It started on Hwy 92 with a lineman tribute before they arrived at the church.
A member of the 11Alive Weather Impact Facebook group posted a photo of line crews paying homage to Weems.
Many city services and departments closed for the day in honor of the lineman, including offices, Municipal Court, and more. Garbage and recycling pickup for Thursday will be moved to Friday.
Weems had a true passion for his job, and this passion showed in his work.
In a video previously made by the city, Weems gave insight into his day-to-day life as a lineman and his love for his job. The lineman had been with the city in that role for over 10 years. But before that, he worked for a cable company and was also in the Navy.
For Weems, being a lineman meant not only could he be himself -- he could be surrounded by others like him. He said his job attracted similar types of people. The Griffin man with an analytical mind had a heart for the outdoors and for helping others.
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"I don't know if I could work a job on the inside," he said in the video.
Weems said he loved the challenges that came with the job and that he was the type of person who is detail-oriented. He liked doing things by the book. He compared his job to solving a puzzle or being a detective trying to solve a murder case by fixing issues with electricity.
For those who would like to make donations, city employees set up a GoFundMe for his children and grandchildren here.
People can also send flowers to the Burdens Funeral Home on Williams Road.