Shain Gandee’s Emotional Funeral: Hundreds Arrive In Neon Shirts

The ‘Buckwild’ star was laid to rest on April 7 following his tragic death, and hundreds of mourners showed up at the Charleston, WV auditorium to pay respects wearing neon ‘Gandee Candee’ shirts. So sad.

On April 7, 21-year-old Buckwild star Shain Gandee was laid to rest after his tragic death on April 1. Shain’s family had requested guests to wear camouflage as a mark of respect to Shain, but instead hundreds of mourners arrived in neon shirts saying “Gandee Candee,’ including Shain’s mother Loretta. Wearing neon pink, Loretta spoke at her son’s funeral and said she knew that he had safely gone to heaven. So sad.

Shain Gandee’s Funeral — All The Details

Shain was tragically found dead in his car on April 1, following a four wheeling expedition that went wrong. Shain, his uncle David Gandee and a friend were found dead inside Shain’s truck which was trapped in a muddy ravine near his Sissonville, WV, home. They died of carbon monoxide poisoning, because the muffler of the truck was submerged in mud.

On April 7, the funeral for Shain and David was held at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium, and as guests arrived in camouflage and neon,  “A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr. was played, reports the Charleston Daily Mail.

Rev. Randy Campbell welcomed guests to honor the lives of both Shain and David.

“We come to this place to celebrate and remember the lives of David and Shain,” he said. “God, I pray Lord, your grace will be sufficient for the Gandee family, God, for the extended family … As the Gandee family pastor, this has been a hard week for them. A hard week for all of us. You never do imagine that death is going to creep in when it does … As quickly as it begins, it can end.”

Shain’s mother Loretta sang the hymn “I Keep Praying” at the funeral, and spoke only a few words, reports The Associated Press.

“I know where Shain is,” Loretta said. “He said about a month ago, `I know when I die I’m going to heaven.'” She patted his and David’s coffins as she stepped down.

Following the funeral, the Gandee family took to their Facebook page to thank mourners.

“We just got back from the funeral. It was an amazing service and we were overcome with fans and support today at the services. Thank you everyone who donated, wrote letters, prayed and called. Please keep everyone in your prayers for the days to come. Thank you again, LOVE ALL THE GANDEE’S.”

Shain was buried in a private ceremony at Thaxton Hollow Cemetary.

Shain Gandee’s Full Obituary

Shain was a member of Elizabeth Baptist Church.
Preceding him in death were his two grandpas who he loved more than anything,Jackie Lee Gandee and Robert Eugene Pauley.

Shain loved to four wheel and loved anything that involved mud, wheels and motors.

He was an avid hunter and loved to make people laugh “Cause it’s Trick or Treat all year round.” He hated school but loved many of his teachers, especially Mrs.Victoria Robb, and his friends.

Shain was a client of Parallel Entertainment and previously worked for the city of South Charleston, Foodland and Thaxton Construction.

He will be sadly missed but never forgotten by his dad, Dale Gandee; mom,Loretta Gandee; sister, Shalena Callahan; niece, Charity Callahan; two grandmas, Bessie Thaxton Gandee and Joan Shafer; many aunts, uncles and cousins; and, most of all, his girlfriend and the love of his life, Kansas Whiting.

Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at Charleston Municipal Auditorium, 224 Virginia St. E., Charleston, with the Rev. Walter Means and the Rev. Randy Campbell officiating. Private family burial will follow in Thaxton Cemetery, Thaxton Hollow, Charleston.

Visitation with the family will be from 11 a.m. until the service time on Sunday. Everyone is encouraged to wear camo.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Shain’s name to angelsamongus.org, credit card donation; make checks payable to Duke University, 13 BR, Tisch Brain Tumor Center – Angels, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710; or the Autism Society, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 350, Bethesda, MD 20814.

The family will accept memorial online condolences at cpjfuneralhome.com or gandeesgeneralstore@aol.com.

Cunningham-Parker-Johnson Funeral Home is serving the Gandee family.

What do YOU think HollywoodLifers? Is this the funeral Shain would have wanted?

WATCH: Buckwild’s Shain Gandee Dead Carbon Monoxide Poisoning