A Final Farewell to Mansfield's Shane Farrell

A final goodbye was said to Shane Farrell Tuesday morning as hundreds attended his funeral at Edgewood Church of Christ. With the main sanctuary and the overflow room filled to near capacity, more stood outside with red balloons in memory of the boy who was killed when he was hit by a school bus while riding his bike last week.

Many in attendance wore red shirts, Shane’s favorite color, in memory of the fallen boy. The red balloons could be seen at homes and businesses from the Route 495 overpass to the downtown area.

Of all the emotions felt during the funeral, guilt for laughing or smiling was not allowed as videos and anecdotes of Shane’s adventures and memories resulted in a mixture of humor, smiles, and sadness.

“It is ok to laugh because if we’re going to remember Shane, there is going to be a goofy thought. We give you permission to laugh,” Minister Peter Clark said.

Since Shane’s death, the town of Mansfield has united to support the Farrell family, including donating over $63,000 to a support fund on GoFundMe.

“I cannot speak enough of this community for reaching out. (Shane) has brought a community together, awaken it from its slumber,” Shane’s father Brian Farrell said.

Despite their age difference, Shane’s sister Kerrin Ricci, called Shane one of her best friends.

“One of the things I respected the most was his determination to live life the way he wanted to,” she says. “It tears me that I’ll never hear him call me ‘sissy’ again.”

Jake Carlino, a friend of Shane who was asked to speak by his parents, recalled the amount of friends he made because of Shane and his commitment to his church. He said Shane was someone who could make you laugh or smile because of his charm.

“A person like Shane is rarely seen,” he said. “If not for Shane I wouldn’t have as half as many friends as I do. It amazes me how an ordinary boy can bring people together.”

The two were part of a group of young filmmakers that would post their videos on YouTube, sometimes getting family members and neighbors involved.

In between speakers, music and slideshows were used to pay tribute to the young teenager. During a moment prior to Brian speaking, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa was played. “Beautiful Boy” by Coleen McMahon was also played as requested by his mother Jackie McCabe as a tribute to her son.

After the funeral, mourners outside the church on South Main Street released the red balloons as the funeral line traveled to Glenwood Cemetery in Natick, where Shane was buried.