At vigil in Chandler, father and son are honored as victims of the Mesa plane crash

by Junna Base November 10, 2024

Hundreds gathered Saturday night to honor a father and son who lost their lives last week as passengers on a flight from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa.

Mourners gathered at Valencia Park in a south Chandler neighborhood to remember Grahm Kimball, 12, and his father, Drew Kimball, 44, who died in the plane crash that killed five people.

Friends of Kimball’s family spoke at the vigil about the father and the family’s youngest child.

On Tuesday, a six-passenger jet went awry on the runway at Falcon Field Airport and crashed into a fence before crossing Greenfield Road, where it collided with a vehicle. The plane then came to a stop in an orchard and burst into flames.

The driver of the vehicle, Ray Longhi, was killed in the accident. Spencer Lindahl, 43, and Rustin Randall, 48, were also passengers on the plane along with the Kimballs and died in the crash. An unidentified teenage passenger survived but suffered burns.

Tanya Kimball, wife of Drew and mother of Grahm, posted on social media about the loss of her two beloved family members.

So Drew and Grahm Kimball were honored at the vigil four days after the crash.

Music, prayers and bubbles. How the Kimballs were honored

The vigil took place at sunset next to the playground at Valencia Park in south Chandler and drew hundreds of participants from families of all ages. At each end of the central gathering area, photos of Drew and Grahm were displayed on two tables, surrounded by flowers and blank index cards for people to write messages to the father and son.

A large poster covered a portion of the park’s pavilion dedicated to Grahm and included handwritten messages from his classmates and community members.

Students and teachers from Grahm’s sixth grade class attended the vigil to honor their classmate and released a cloud of bubbles in memory of his bright and unique personality.

Members of the Kimballs’ place of worship, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sang two hymns honoring Drew and Grahm at the vigil. The entire crowd then sang “Be Still My Soul,” followed by “Families Can Be Together Forever.”

As the sun fully set in Valencia Park, participants lit a sea of candles in which their faces glowed and many people wiped tears from their eyes.

Faith and family show strength in the vigil

Kyle Worthen, a friend of the Kimballs’ family for nearly a decade, offered a prayer to open the vigil and spoke to the Arizona Republic.

“These guys lived life to the fullest… they were all about maximizing experiences and family time,” Worthen said of the Kimballs.

Worthen’s family and the Kimballs first met at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chandler, where their children, who were about the same age, played on the same baseball team.

“They always seemed to be on a trip and doing something, California. Lake Powell. These boys loved spending time together as a family. Family ties were very important to them,” Worthen added.

Grief is nothing new for Worthen, as he has suffered the loss of his child before and relied on his faith to get through this time alongside the Kimballs. “As someone who has lost a child myself, this hits me hard, it brings me back to my belief that families last forever,” Worthen said.

Worthen recalled that the Kimball family experienced tragedy less than a year ago after the death of their 17-year-old son, Braden.

“With the loss of their son, they tested themselves. They know the way back,” Worthen said.

“People always ask me ‘How are you’ and with joy in my heart I would say they’re trying… That’s all we’re trying to do is do our best.”

“As hard as it is for Tanya (Kimball) to go through this, I know without a shadow of a doubt that she will persevere with her faith. She knows the way back,” Worthen said.

Organizers about bringing together a community for Drew and Grahm

Katy May had been friends with the Kimballs for about eight years and organized the vigil on behalf of the family in honor of Drew and Grahm, whom she described as the “best friends you could ask for.”

“We met at church, but our kids ended up going to the same schools and the same sports and we liked the same things, so we spent a lot of time together,” May said.

Wearing a blue Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap in honor of Grahm’s favorite team, May took it upon herself to send a message to the community and the Kimballs.

“We felt like it was really important for the community and the family to see how much love and support came from so many people,” May said.

May said she received an outpouring of support and offers from the community to help organize the vigil for the family, which has impacted many lives.

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