Candlelight Vigil Celebrates Life of Social Media Giant

If teardrops were tweets, then there have been hundreds sent out for @treypennington.

Dozens of friends of the Greenville businessman and social media guru gathered Wednesday night at Falls Park to pay tribute to their friend.

For many the tears started on Sunday, as the news started to spread through social media, that Pennington had taken his own life. And at a candlelight vigil, the tears still flowed as many remembered the man whose light was snuffed out too soon.

"The tears have been constant," said Jay Handler, Pennington's friend and business partner. "And the pain, devastating."

With more than 111,000 people following him on Twitter and both a personal and fan page on Facebook, Pennington was well-known. A father, a friend, a mentor, a teacher and a motivator, he touched lives not just in Greenville, but around the world.

Handler told the crowd that Pennington had "a hole in his chest and he never knew how to fill it."

"There was nothing that we could have done that would have changed the outcome Sunday," Handler said, choking back his emotions. "... Please remember Trey for his generosity, what he did for his community... he was an ambassador for the Upstate."

One click on any of Pennington's social media sites or a simple Google search of his name shows the impact the social media giant had on the lives of many. Mixed with the shock and the expressions of sympathy are hidden the many connections, friendships and lives touched by Pennington's desire to help someone else be successful.

Friends, and even those who knew Pennington only through his online persona on social media sites, lit candles and strolled along the Liberty Bridge, one of Pennington's favorite spots in Greenville.

Friends drifted along the bridge with candles. Some chatting with one another and sharing stories of how they had met Pennington. Others stopping, if only for a moment, to listen to the sounds of the Reedy River Falls. And still, a few others who paused to send a tweet or post on facebook.

But for some, the quiet of the night, the chill of the air and the overwhelming sense of loss, brought back the tears.

Trey's cousin Rhonda Norsby, walked arm-in-arm with Handler, stopping briefly to talk to Pennington's friends. Norsby had told the crowd earlier that it was in Greenville that she had reunited with her cousin and strolled along the Liberty Bridge for the first time.

Norsby took a place along the bridge's railing looking out over the scene below and then turned her attention to one of Pennington's friends.

"I wish you could see your bridge just now. You were a well-respected and loved man...," one person wrote on Pennington's Facebook page.

And if Pennington had view of the bridge tonight, he might have been pleased with what he saw happening.

As people walked off the bridge they began to gather in the circular area near the Bowater building. There were hugs, and laughter, and a social networking party was underway.

"Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to be understood. Everyone wants to know his or her life matters," Pennington wrote in a June blog post.

@TreyPennington, Your life mattered. #RIP.


MEMORIAL
At the vigil, friends learned that a memorial would be built at Falls Park. A swing, to be placed in view of the falls, will be erected in Pennington's name. Friends are trying to raise $5,000 to support the effort. Any donations above that cost will be used to establish a scholarship fund for Pennington's children. More details on where to send donations is forthcoming.

REMEMBERING TREY
On Saturday, Jay Handler will continue the radio show that he and Pennington hosted, Open For Business, but instead of talking about business and social media, he will focus on Trey. Call in to the show at 310-742-1761.