Hundreds Gather To Remember And Celebrate The Life Of William Anderson

HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI)- The town of Houston is continuing to mourn the loss of one of its own.

William Anderson, 15, passed away on Monday following a junior varsity football game.

On Tuesday, hundreds of family members and friends came together to remember and celebrate his life.

“I’m just feeling, feeling at a loss,” said Marcus Anderson, William’s nephew. “It’s kind of funny to say that a 15-year-old is your best friend but, I’m just feeling lost without him.”

Marcus and his nephew shared a close bond.

He describes the 15-year-old as a positive, funny, and outgoing person.

“I have a daughter, I never had the opportunity to have a son so he was like a son to me,” the uncle expressed. “We did everything together.”

When Marcus had gotten sick last year it was William who was right there by his side the entire time nursing him back to strength.

“I was in an accident last year, couldn’t work, couldn’t walk and he would come out every morning, fix my breakfast, and get me ready, help me out,” Marcus recalled. “He’d get out of school, he’d come take care of me in the afternoon. A kid shouldn’t have to take care of you, but he didn’t mind. He was just a great person”

Along with helping others, Marcus said there’s something else his nephew enjoyed doing, playing football.

The freshman lineman played on the junior varsity team at Houston High School and had a big aspirations of playing at the next level.

“He wanted to play football for the University of Alabama, that was his dream,” said Marcus.

However, after a  game on Monday night, the teenager left the field complaining he was feeling sick.

Around 8 o’clock that night, William was rushed to the emergency room in Lee County.

Three hours later, he passed away.

“He just said he vomited a few times that morning, he just didn’t feel too well, he said he wanted to go on and go to school,” said Marcus. “He said he was feeling better. I told him he didn’t have to play if you didn’t want to, but he told me they need me so.”

Though he was only 15-years-old, William had a huge impact on a lot of people throughout the Chickasaw County town.

Now, the community is rallying together to make sure they always remember the fond memories and good times they shared with the teen.

“You know it’s amazing to see how many people love a 15-year-old, it’s good to see everybody come out today,” said Marcus.

The loss of Williams is having an impact on  HHS, as a result, counselors and youth pastors are being made available to students to help them during this difficult time.

An autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of William’s death.

However, it’s believed he had a heart attack.

WCBI has been told the 15-year-old had a history of high blood pressure.