Friends, Family Mourn Boy, 8, Killed by Bench

Nearly 200 mourners attended a somber funeral service Saturday for 8-year-old Tony Ferris, a boy whose death last week during a park outing shocked all who knew him and many more.

Those attending the service at El Toro Memorial Park Cemetery in Lake Forest included school buddies and fellow Cub Scouts. “I don’t think Tony had any idea this many people loved him,” said Pastor Chuck Smith Jr., standing next to Tony’s lacquered coffin and speaking to those who had gathered to pay their respects.

The third-grader from Hidden Hills Elementary School in Laguna Niguel was crushed to death during a YMCA outing at Chapparosa Park on Monday. Several children were sitting on an 800-pound park bench when it toppled backward. Tony, who was sitting on the backrest, could not jump off in time and was pinned by the bench.

The incident has shocked the community and raised questions about the safety of other concrete benches around the county that are not secured to the ground.

But on Saturday, those who knew the popular boy tried to focus on the gift of his young life.

“It is not Tony that we feel sorry for. It is us, because we’re going to miss him,” Smith said.

About a dozen friends and family members spoke about their memories of Tony, describing him as a considerate and happy boy who was wise beyond his years and touched the lives of many. He enjoyed his Bible study classes, Smith said, and had a deep understanding of religion.

“He was so kind to all the kids, especially the younger ones,” added Tony’s soccer coach, who recounted how the boy would play with his 4-year-old daughter after practice.

“She was so in love with him, because he was the only older kid who would play with her,” he said.

From teary-eyed adults to young schoolmates, each recounted memories of a boy who loved basketball and was the delight of his mother, Tracy Ferris, 36, a single mom raising Tony and his half-sister, Erin, 12.

Hugh Jackes, 40, Tony’s Cub Scout master, said the boy joined his troop in September. He was shy at first but quickly got involved.

“He really wanted to do everything,” Jackes said.

When the father of another Cub Scout could not keep up with the heavy load of activities, Tony convinced his mother to be a den mother. She and another mother took the children on weekly outings, including picking up trash at the beach, Jackes said.

Tracy Ferris comforted weeping mourners with smiles and thanked them for attending the funeral.

Many commended her strength. The day after the accident, Jackes said, Ferris visited Tony’s classmates to console them.

“I can’t imagine being that strong,” added another person who attended the funeral.

In closing the service, Smith recalled how during a recent trip to Mammoth Mountain, Tony delighted in making snow angels.

“Ironically, today he will be doing the real thing,” he said.