Obituary: James Shellock, 22-Year-Old Smithtown Firefighter

SMITHTOWN, NY — Funeral services will be held next week for James Shellock, a 22-year-old Smithtown native and firefighter killed in a crash Wednesday night.

Shellock died while riding his motorcycle in Smithtown when a 17-year-old driving a sport utility vehicle crashed into him, Suffolk police said.

Shellock was born Sept. 3, 1997, according to Branch Funeral Homes.

Wake services for Shellock will be held at Branch Funeral Home at 190 E. Main St. in Smithtown during these times:

• 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday
• 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday

The Firematic service is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Branch Funeral Home.

The Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, located at 280 E. Main St. in Smithtown. Shellock's burial will follow at Pinelawn Memorial Park at 2030 Wellwood Ave. in Farmingdale.

"James’ faithful dedication to his community, love for the fire & EMS service and kind heart will be greatly missed," the Smithtown Fire Department wrote on Facebook. "His name will forever be on our honor roll."

A GoFundMe page, "In Memory of James Shellock," was set up for his mother, Joanne Shellock. James is survived by Joanne and his two younger sisters.

"James Shellock was a phenomenal 22-year-old young man with a passion for life and service that was unmatched," Kathleen Colon, who organized the fundraiser, wrote. "He had dreams of becoming a first responder and one day joining the New York City Fire Department. At the young age of 14, he began working toward this goal by joining the Hauppauge Fire Department explorers program. He worked incredibly hard as a volunteer firefighter throughout his time in the explorer’s program, and this work ethic would eventually earn him his EMT certification shortly after he graduated high school.

"He continued this selfless journey and joined the Smithtown Fire Department during the past year to volunteer for both Fire and EMT calls. He had just recently completed courses at St. John’s University to become a paramedic. His passion for helping others in need was evident from a very young age. His motivation to serve his community was relentless, and he never stopped pushing himself to learn and work hard toward his dreams of serving as a New York City Firefighter. Our communities benefited greatly from the service that his young life offered. He exemplified the spirit of a selfless and caring hero, and this spirit will continue to live on in the communities he served."

Nearly $27,000 has been raised as of Friday afternoon.

Local fire departments and ambulance services expressed condolences over Shellock's death: