NEW PALESTINE — He had an infectious smile, a zest for life and an enthusiasm for his family and friends. And then there was one of his biggest passions, a love for music.
Those were just some of the memories family and friends shared about Kameron Womack, the former New Palestine High School band member who died Monday, Sept. 7. Kameron, who graduated in 2017, succumbed to injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Indianapolis.
Kameron, 21, who was also known as “Kona,” would have been blown away, his friends and family said in acknowledging the outpouring of support on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when an estimated 200 people showed up for an evening vigil held on Kameron’s behalf in the school’s parking lot.
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Click here to purchase photos from this gallery“He was such a special person because he could relate to everybody,” friend and former classmate Brooke Henderson said. “He would just sit down and talk to you for hours even if he was busy.”
Band members, friends and family, including his parents James Womack and Crystal Spiker, gathered for the vigil, where they prayed and then released dozens of balloons into the evening sky from the band parking lot. It was an appropriate spot: Kameron spent many hours there practicing on his beloved saxophone for the school’s band.
Makayla Womack, Kameron’s cousin, couldn’t believe the young man who helped her get her life on track is gone. Kameron helped her fit in when she moved in with his family to attend NPHS a few years ago.
“He was that light at the end of the tunnel for me and so many people,” Makayla said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do without him, because he was the one who would lift everybody up.”
While his parents were too distraught to say much at the prayer event, the family thanked everyone for showing up and called the gathering a beautiful moment of healing, noting Kameron would have been proud. Many felt he was definitely smiling “that smile of his,” watching from above all the while.
“The thing I’ll miss most about him is how he always looked out for you and wanted to make sure his friends were all OK,” said former band section member and classmate Avery Eller.
Eller noted Kameron was just one of those rare kind souls, stopping to help people on the side of the road and always looking for the good, even in bad situations.
“The one thing we can take from all of this is that Kameron kind of taught us to carry on that light he had,” Eller said.
Between his band family, his friends and immediate family, Kameron was a well-liked person who fit in everywhere he went.
“He got around town and a lot of people knew him and really liked him,” friend and former NPHS band member Wil Baranowski said. “We all knew him one way or another, but we all considered him to be part of our family.”
Kameron was working in Indianapolis as a chef, one of the other things he enjoyed doing. He was riding his motorcycle in downtown Indianapolis when the accident occurred in the 1000 block of East St. Clair Street, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
He was found by a passerby named Angel, who summoned help, a family cousin, Colton Delhagen, said.
“He was alert when they first found him, and he said, ‘Call my mom and let her know what happened,’ so he knew what happened to him, but then he lost consciousness,” Delhagen said. “He was such a great kid who had this vibe about him that everyone liked, and it’s such a shame he’s gone because a parent should not have to bury their child.”
Services and visitation for Kameron will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at Bell Mortuary, 1444 West U.S. 52, Fountaintown. Those attending are asked to wear face coverings.
