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Sunday, November 15, 2026Nov 15

Slain cameraman remembered with jokes, goofy stories

Jeff Marks, general manager for WDBJ-TV, arrives for the funeral for cameraman Adam Ward at First Baptist Church in Roanoke, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015. Ward and morning reporter Alison Parker were fatally shot by a former co-worker on live television during an interview on Aug. 26.  (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Jeff Marks, general manager for WDBJ-TV, arrives for the funeral for cameraman Adam Ward at First Baptist Church in Roanoke, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015. Ward and morning reporter Alison Parker were fatally shot by a former co-worker on live television during an interview on Aug. 26. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) – The funeral for the cameraman killed during a live broadcast sparked more laughter than tears during a service filled with jokes and recollections of a bullied kid who grew into a beloved goofball.

Adam Ward, 27, was killed Wednesday alongside WDBJ-TV reporter Alison Parker by a former co-worker. But those who loved him say that while his loss is devastating, they’ve found comfort in sharing funny stories about Ward and relating jokes he loved to tell poking fun at the rival of his favorite football team and alma mater, Virginia Tech.

Here is a look at some of the stories shared during Ward’s funeral in Roanoke:

STANDUP COMEDY

Ron Lough, the pastor of the Ward family’s church, opened with one of the jokes the Virginia Tech fanatic loved to tell: