Community outpouring honors #2’s legacy
There were plenty of #2s in the R. Marion Craig Coliseum at Port St. Joe High School this past weekend, lighting up the scoreboard and emblazoned on jerseys.
Each of them left no question who was number 1 in the hearts of the community.
From Port St. Joe all the way to Las Vegas, Nevada, an overflow gathering of mourners Saturday afternoon paid their last respects to the storied life of Port St. Joe High School senior Chance Jakari Gainer, who passed away on the football field Sept. 6 wearing his beloved #2.
Put to rest in a gold casket, lying in repose on a bed of rich purple fabric, Gainer’s engaging personality, and personal accomplishments both on and off the field, were celebrated by family, friends, coaches and other loved ones at a visitation Friday night and a final farewell Saturday afternoon.
Images of Gainer’s football exploits abounded, with a “Forever a Tiger Shark” placard in front that attested to his kickoff, when he was born Aug. 14, 2006, and to his fourth quarter, when he left this earth on Sept. 6, 2024.
Following selections from the North Port St. Joe Community Choir that accompanied the processional Saturday, Minister Tenecia Monette offered an opening prayer, followed by the singing of the song “Open My Heart” by Gainer’s aunt Coya Jones.
Bishop Charles Gainer read scripture from the Old Testament, and Elder Donald Nickson read verse from the New Testament.
A video overhead offered a televised expression of condolences from coaches and players from the Las Vegas Raiders, whose roster is filled with several players from the Panhandle.
Tiger Shark football coach Tanner Jones was joined by two area coaches who had mentored Gainer in his youth, Travis Smith and Matt Jones in offering their reflections on an outstanding athlete who wore a positive attitude and an air of quiet leadership Gainer’s friends Fisher Vandertulip and Steve Newman offered their reflections as buddies and teammates.
Songs of tribute were sung by uncle Calvin Jones, cousin Todd McNair and aunt Linette Bailey, as well as a poem by Lance Larry, Jr., a special cousin.
Gainer, who was destined to play college football, received a honorary #2 Rattler jersey, and his parents a $1,000 scholarship in his memory, from Timothy Beard, PhD., president of Florida A & M University, which was the first of what would likely to be many colleges to offer the young athlete a football scholarship. A GoFundMe page has raised about $75,000 thus far in private donations to support the Gainer family.
A staffer from Cooper Funeral Home in Chipley shared the names of several churches and organizations that had issued resolutions and acknowledgements to the Gainer family.
The service closed with a eulogy by Apostle Dr. Johnny Jenkins, Jr. pastor of the New Life Christian Center. He shared at times light-hearted and deeply moving remembrances of a young man he watched blossom into adulthood, and closed with an encouragement for the Port St. Joe community to carry on the spirit of love shown in Gainer’s life and in the community’s embrace of the family at this hour.
“Let’s keep that love with another, let’s keep it going. We really built the love when this tragedy happened. And that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “Let’s keep that love going.”
With the Port St. Joe football team serving as pallbearers, and cheerleaders as flower attendants, and players from surrounding teams as honorary ones, Gainer’s casket was borne to Forest Hill Cemetery in a white carriage, led by a spotted Appaloosa steed.
In a message to the community posted on Facebook, Gainer’s mother Equillar “Gal” and father J.J. Gainer thanked everyone for their love, support and prayers during this difficult time, with a special thank-you to Superintendent Jim Norton and his staff.
“From the moment our lives changed forever, they have done everything in their powers to help lighten our load and for that we will be forever thankful and grateful,” she wrote.
Thank you sir for your coverage