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Community comes together to grieve family killed in house fire
Dawn Timmeney reports on the Pottstown baseball community who lost a player and his parents in a house fire and their tribute to the victims.
POTTSTOWN, Pa. - A community comes together in the face of tragedy after an entire family is killed in a house fire.
Central Perkiomen baseball players taking to their field Wednesday night in Schwenksville to remember one of their own, 13-year-old Tyler Norton, along with his parents, Joe and Bernadette Norton. Tyler’s teammates releasing balloons in honor of the family, who were tragically killed in a fire at their 5th Street home in Pottstown, early Monday morning.
"Great family and you could tell how they raised him, because he was a genuine kid," said a friend of the family, Joseph Allen. "One of the nicest kids I ever met."
The youth baseball league arranged the vigil, with the boys writing messages on baseballs to Tyler. They also made up special baseball caps with his number four and angel wings.
"We wanted to give the boys and their parents a place they could gather and be together and remember Tyler and his parents and what better place than where he loved to be?" Stephanie Glover explained.
Tyler was an amazing pitcher and a true team leader. His fellow players taking the news extremely hard.
"I’m feeling very sad. Upset about – why so early?" teammate Dylan Querales asked.
"He was like a brother to me," another teammate, Braden Allen, stated.
"He would always be the kid that, if he saw you down, he’d always pick you back up," a third teammate, Cameron Mallo added.
Grief counselors were on hand to help the players deal with the tremendous loss of their friend and his parents. A young man who touched everyone he met. His rec coach Martin Mallo said Tyler was always about the team and his teammates.
"He made an impact on me, that’s why it makes it so hard," Martin Mallo remarked.
Several members of the family were at the remembrance, including Tyler’s grandmother.
"What do you want people to know about him?" asked FOX 29’s Dawn Timmeney.
"That he has a great heart," replied teammate Tony Tesco.
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Pottstown fire that killed father, son also claimed life of mother
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