By Alex Nicoll

Editor-in-Chief

@NicollMac

For those that have followed stories on coppellstudentmedia.com about the courageous fight of junior Thomas (Tommy) Gantt’s bout with cancer, we regret to inform you that he passed away Saturday April 4 at 3 p.m.

“He loved to help people. He was one of my best friends and I’m going to miss him,” friend and Coppell High School junior Wangyang He said.

Funeral processions were held April 9 at 2 p.m. at St. Ann Catholic Parish and a graveside service followed at the Rolling Oaks Memorial Center in Coppell.

Gantt was active in his church and the school, as part of the football team and percussion group of his school’s band at Coppell Middle School East and as a basketball trainer his freshman and sophomore year for the CHS basketball team.

“Tommy was one of the most kind-hearted kids I’ve ever been around,” CHS basketball coach Kit Pehl said. “He was just a very easy-going, friendly kid with a big smile. I thought he was as genuine a kid as I have been around in my life.”

Members of the team and friends of Tommy took to Twitter to express their shock, feelings and love for Tommy after news of his passing had been released. The basketball team also helped pay for the Gantt and Herbert family for Tommy to be recognized at the Angel of Hope statue at Rolling Oaks along with a paver with an inscription for Tommy.

He is survived by his mother Veronica Herbert, stepfather Andy Herbert, father William Gantt, stepmother Miriam Gantt, brothers William Gantt and Connor Herbert, sisters Tatiana Gantt, Andrea Hebert, Melissa Herbert and Mariana Gantt, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

“He and I were managers for the basketball team freshman year, and we worked together  a lot, filming games and we were always together to the away games,” He said. “He made my job easier. He probably did more because I am a lazy person and he wasn’t. He was funny; he would always tell jokes. He’s a really good person overall.

“I just loved him.”