VIDEO: Ole Miss Remembers Victims Of Plane Crash

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI)-

People from all over the area made their way into the Tad Smith Coliseum at the University of Mississippi. They came for a Celebration of Lives. Dentists Jason Farese and Lea Farese, Dentist Michael Perry and his wife Kim Perry, a nurse practitioner at the University of Mississippi and dentist Austin Poole and his wife Angie Poole all perished in an airplane crash in Tuscaloosa County Alabama on August 14th.

“All are welcome here today as we gather to demonstrate our love. You’re presence I know is an encouragement to these families.”

John Green knew all of the deceased and their children.

“And the magnitude of losing six of our most wonderful people who were our community supporters who were our coaches who were our nurses, who were our dentists, but also our friends, losing them once the magnitude has been hard to describe and determine at one time candidly”

Sparky Reardon was another of event’s organizers and a friend of the families.

“Anytime you lose one person in the community like Oxford it’s impact, but when you lose six and they’re six professionals, six parents, six community servers it’s just a huge hole in our soul here right now. ” said Reardon.

Russ Jones is an Oxford resident who was well acquainted with one of the victims.

“Michael was one of my first friends when we first moved here to Oxford four or five years ago and I instantly saw his passion and his drive and his heart. he was a guy who would give you the shirt off his back and he was especially concerned about those that didn’t have what he had, those that might have been destitute in life.”said Jones.

Dr. Ed Holliday is a Tupelo dentist who served as an usher at today’s memorial.

“These are colleagues that I met and have know them over the years. And it’s very sad occasion but the same time I think this has bring comfort to the family to see the hundreds and hundreds of people from around this area that have come to be a part of this commemoration service.” said Holliday.

And Holliday says there will be help for the many dental patients who lost their beloved dentists.

“Through the Mississippi Dental Association there is an organization that puts together dentists that will be helping out. There are a lot of dentists that have offered and I will offer mine to help out where it need be until the practice can make a transition in each of the practices.” said Holliday.

Today’s memorial service at the Tad Smith Coliseum here at Ole Miss went a long way to bring this grieving community together. But now it’s time for friends and family to begin what could be a long healing process.