ATLANTA — Services were held on Friday for Chandler Patterson, the Gainesville firefighter who died in a boating accident.
The family held a celebration of life service Friday at 2 p.m. at Rabun County High School, where Patterson attended
Patterson, 27, had married his wife three weeks before the accident happened Saturday on Lake Tugalo. He had been at the Gainesville Fire Department for only two years.
Alyssa, Patterson's widow, gave an emotional speech during the service as she thanked everyone for their support.
"It's been heartbreaking beautiful to see all the friends and family surrounding us with prayers, tight hugs and food," she said.
"The loss of Chandler is astronomical and this is no secret. Everyone here would agree that he was one of a kind, and as plain it sounds to say, there's no one like him. It's true," she said.
The fire department said on social media that Patterson "brought smiles to everyone around him."
After the service, a precession was held from the high school to Betty's Creek Baptist Church in Dillard, Ga.
For more information, visit Patterson's obituary.