VERO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A Vero Beach man who died while serving in the U.S. Army in Germany has finally been brought home.
Private First Class Christopher Leone Belcher, of Vero Beach, died May 3, according to family and funeral home officials. A cause of death was not provided, but Jeff Gibbs of Lowther Funeral Home said the death was considered honorable.
When Belcher’s body returned, it was greeted by military personnel, law enforcement officers and other agencies at the Vero Beach Regional Airport to honor his service.
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Outside the airport stood Brendan Madayag, a retired Army specialist, who said although he did not know Belcher personally, he still considered him a brother in service who fought to protect the country and its citizens.
“I’m still here to pay my respects because he served this country, and we owe him that respect because he fought for the freedoms that we have today and that we love and cherish,” Madayag said.
According to his obituary, Belcher was born in Philadelphia on Aug. 27, 1991, and moved to Vero Beach as a teenager, where he developed a lifelong love of boxing and fitness.
He graduated from Sebastian River High School in 2010. He joined the Army in 2011 and served overseas, including assignments in Korea and Germany.
Survivors include his daughter, KiraBella Belcher, and her mother, Kayla; his siblings, Shalouna DeLeon, Ghia Chambers and Edward Chambers; his nephews, Xavi and Vega; and many other family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Christy Belcher and Edward Chambers.
A private funeral service for family members is planned for Saturday.