Funeral held today for athletic director killed at school shooting
— -- Among those who lost their lives in a mass shooting at a Florida high school last week was Christopher Hixon, the school athletic director and head wrestling coach.
Hixon, 49, was laid to rest today.
“If you needed anything -- a cup of sugar in the middle of the night, he would bring it to you," Coral Springs High School athletic director Dan Jacob told ABC News. "Chris has a son with Down syndrome. He put needs of everyone else before his own."
“Coach Hixon, for me, was a father figure,” said wrestler Karlos Valentin, the Sun Sentinel reported. "His loss was just terrible."
"He was such a sweet guy,” wrestler Ray Corniel said, according to the newspaper. "He would bring us food for all our tournaments and take care of us like we were his own children and just watch over us, let us learn about life lessons."
A funeral was also held today for slain student Nicholas Dworet, 17.
"The family is heartbroken and devastated to have lost Nicholas," his family said in a statement. "He was a happy young man full of joy and life."
"He was extremely passionate about swimming," the family said, and "Nicholas was thrilled to be going to University of Indianapolis to join their swim team. He dreamed of making the Olympic swim team and going to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He believed he could accomplish anything as long as he tried his best."
Robert Manuel, president of the University of Indianapolis, where Dworet would have attended this fall, said in a statement, "Nick’s death is a reminder that we are connected to the larger world, and when tragedy hits in places around the world, it oftentimes affects us at home. Today, and in the coming days, I hope you will hold Nick, his family, all of the victims, as well as the Parkland community and first responders in your prayers."
Seventeen were killed and more than a dozen others were injured in the Valentine's Day rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The suspect, a former student, was arrested.
ABC News' Teri Whitcraft contributed to this report.
