Hundreds say goodbye to boxing champion Vernon Forrest

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Hundreds of people raised their arms in respect as they said goodbye to boxing champion Vernon Forrest at the Bell Auditorium, Saturday.

Forrest was shot to death July 25, during an attempted robbery when he stopped to fill his tires up with air at a gas station in Atlanta.

A golden casket, containing the body of the Augusta native, lay before more than 600 people during a three hour public memorial.

The song 'Never Would Have Made It,' had people standing, singing and crying.

Forrest's brother, Alphonso Forrest Sr. choked up as he spoke to his family and the crowd.

"I can not come to grips with this. It hurts, I can't sleep good, I feel torn and empty, but I believe in God," Alphonso Forrest Sr. said.

Forrest Sr. says he didn't expect to bring his brother back to his hometown for a memorial service.

"When you read the newspaper or the news and somebody's been killed, you say oh, I'm so sorry for that family and guess what we're that family," Forrest Sr. said.

His cousin, Lottie Jones says the death is a shame.

"I'm really sad about this death because he was young and he came a long way to get where he is at now," Jones said. "It's very sad and whoever did it, I wish they would come forward."

One of the boxer's close friends, Lamont Calhoun, says he couldn't believe this is how his friend would go.

"You couldn't have told me this was going to happen to Vernon, not Vernon, maybe fighting in the ring or in a car accident, but to die the way he did. No," Calhoun said.

Forrest was also recognized for his humanitarianism outside of the ring. He was one of the founders of Destiny's Child Inc., a program for disabled children.

"Just remember the great guy that he was," Calhoun said. "He's a real, real, real, great guy."

The ceremony was hosted by 96.3 KISS-FM's Minnesota Fattz. The service was presided over by Reverend Bobby G. Hankerson.

Forrest leaves behind a son, a god son, his mother, over 15 siblings and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.

On Monday, a funeral service will be held at New Birth Church in Lithonia, Georgia at 1:00 p.m.

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