Pilot Killed In LI Crash Mourned At Funeral: 'Fly With The Angels'

EAST END, NY — Kent Feuerring, 57, of Sagaponack, , a pilot who died last week when his plane crashed in East Hampton, was laid to rest Thursday.

A funeral service was held at the Old Whalers' Church in Sag Harbor.

"It was a beautiful service," said Tanya Malott. "It felt like all of Sag Harbor was there. The Whalers' Church was so full. He was such a beloved member of the community. His absence will be deeply felt for a long time."

Visitation Thursday was marked by simple elegance as a large group of mourners in somber, black attire gathered to celebrate the life of a man who touched so many.

A steady stream of family, friends and colleagues poured into Brokett Funeral Home in Southampton, where timeless silver frames captured images of a man, always smiling, in the places he loved best, by the sea, with his beloved son — and always, ready to soar into the skies as he pursued his passion for aviation.

A cascade of white flowers was draped over his coffin as those who loved him knelt to pay their final respects and pray.

Raising glasses of wine in memory, those gathered shared stories and memories in solemn, yet heartfelt tribute to Feuerring, remembered for his generosity of spirit and quest for adventure.

Flowers were placed around the room from the many who'd shared heartbroken messages. One person, in their note, expressed gratitude to Feuerring for tirelessly serving the community.

"Thank you for trying to save East Hampton aviation," he wrote.

Feuerring was president of the East Hampton Aviation Association — a fitting position for a man who loved nothing more than to soar blue skies. He was also a member of the East Hampton Town Airport Management Advisory Committee, as officials strived to map out a future for the facility.

Across social media, many found comfort that Feuerring died doing what he loved best — flying.

"He always supported me in my photography and film. Always," said Bryan Downey. "Kent Feuerring died doing what he loved to do. Flying. RIP, my friend. Now you have your wings."

"I got to know through a client about 10 years ago and started to get to know him even better through working at the East Hampton Airport the past five years, where we quickly became comrades in aviation," Bernadette Ruggiero said. "Kent had a very unique presence about him and he was one of those people who never left you feel less happy when running into him. He had so much passion about the airport and flying and will leave an unmeasurable void among us. I feel for his son and everyone who was close to him."

His former wife Stacie Pierce told Patch, "He lived his best life."

"Kent took care of himself and took care of many people, especially if they were in need of something," she said. "He was a fix-it kind of man. He was truly loved by the town — and Sag Harbor has encountered a huge loss.”

A family friend wrote on social media: "Kent Feuerring lit up a room wherever he went, and then his light went out in an instant. I will live my life differently today. I'll make choices to spend more time with people I love and who light me up," she said.

Friend Sidney Brito added: "Kent was a very warm person, kind, and always had some upright words to say to me every time we met. I could feel and see in his eyes the sincerity and kindness every time we spoke. A very sad loss to his family and friends."

Malott shared her memories: "Everyone will tell you Kent always had a smile on his face. It's true, he was always smiling, laughing, and stopping to chat with the dozens of people he ran into in a day," she said. "He was always at Sagtown Coffee, and sometimes we called him the mayor of Sag Harbor."

Malott said she knew Feuerring best during the years their kids were friends in high school at the Ross School.

"We went to soccer and basketball games together, and did a trip to Costa Rica together with our boys for M-term. Our kids were always sleeping at each other's houses after a party, most of the time at Kent's because he had the fun house. And because he was a good, responsible parent we all trusted. I loved his way of empowering kids. He was a great leader and organizer himself who had such a gentle way of teaching our kids like they were smart young adults who could handle a lot of responsibility."

She added: "I love that my son reached out to him after college for advice about film production, and Kent took him to a nice dinner to share his knowledge. I never even heard about it until now. Kent was like that, always quietly offering to help people out, always grateful for the friendship and support of others."

In their last conversation a month ago, they ran into each other at Sagtown, and ended up laughing and chatting for an hour, Malott said.

"Whatever else he was there to do, he just dropped it, to talk to a friend. I had moved away in April, so it felt like we had some catching up to do. . . Kent was a well-loved person who loved a lot of people. I have noticed that everyone has a story about just seeing Kent, or just talking to him, because that's who he was — a kind and generous person who made time for everyone. His loss in Sag Harbor will be deeply felt for a very long time"

Others shared photos, of a man whose life was filled with love and friends and the son he adored, Jonas.

Alex Lawson, a good friend of Feuerring's son Jonas in high school — both love surfing and shooting video, Feuerring's field of expertise — shared memories of the film advice he'd received from Feuerring, that his mother also mentioned.

"It was the last time I saw Kent, around December, and I wanted advice for getting into the film industry," Lawson said. "He took me out for dinner at Sen — and paid for it — and gave me all the knowledge he had to offer. He even invited me onto one of his sets. He was a very generous man. He was also so kind and welcoming when we came to hang out at his house over the years."

According to East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo, the plane crashed around 12:30 p.m. Oct. 6 off Springy Banks Road, on the water's edge of Three Mile Harbor. Responding officers located a small single-engine Seamax M-22 plane with the pilot, the sole occupant, dead, he said.

Witnesses reported seeing what appeared to be a wing that broke off the fuselage before the aircraft spiraled downward into the water, police said.

Police detectives secured the scene, and the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and the Suffolk Medical Examiner's office investigated the "tragic crash," Sarlo said.

Feuerring's LinkedIn profile said he was a producer at Near Future and an executive producer and partner of apictures. He was a veteran advertising executive with more than 25 years of production experience, the profile said.

A commercial production company, apictures shot commercials throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America for clients including: Cadillac, Tylenol, Lockheed Martin, and Kawasaki, the profile said.

Kent began his career in feature films, in Los Angeles, where he was a production accountant on the Academy Award-winning film, Glengarry Glen Ross, the profile said. He later transitioned into advertising; specifically, the making of commercials

Dividing his time between Los Angeles and New York City, Kent began freelancing at many production companies and leading advertising agencies such as Oglivey, Mithun, and MWW where he served as executive producer of commercials for: IBM, Merrill Lynch, and New Jersey Tourism, the profile said.

He was, the profile said, "an avid pilot of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters."

According to its website, the East Hampton Aviation Association was formed "to represent the interests of local general aviation and historic plane enthusiasts including pilots, owners, and operators of aircraft at the East Hampton Airport."

"Fly with the angels, my friend," Malott wrote. "We miss you here, and you remind me to live and love each day like there is no tomorrow. Your life brought so many smiles and so much joy. Rest in peace."