CRESTVIEW — Relatives of Esau Jamison, a 9-year-old boy who died Nov. 10, are raising funds for his funeral expenses.
Donors have contributed $2,655 of the $7,098 required so far at https://www.gofundme.com/esau-jamison-3-the-mechanicmybaby. People may contribute there or contact McKinnie Funeral Home, 682-3335.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of Esau, who is believed to have hanged himself last week. His body was found 3 p.m. Nov. 10 in his bedroom.
There were no additional signs of trauma and no evidence of foul play, but the home was in disarray and the utilities were off, according to a statement from OCSO.
Esau’s death shocked the community, but the GoFundMe page focuses more on the boy’s life. The page lists some of the things Esau loved doing.
His family began calling him "The Mechanic" due to his ability to fix broken items. "He was always fixing things around the house and the neighborhood. Anything we had that tore up in the house, he was the first one to take a look at it. He always went with his 'PawPaw' to fix cars and stuff," Jamison's stepfather, Robert Smith, said.
Esau, who wore No. 3 for the Crestview Titans football team at Twin Hills Park, also loved to fish. "He stayed at Twin Hills Park," Smith said.
When asked what he and his wife, Jentry Jamison-Smith, wanted people to know about their son, Smith said, "That he was loved by everyone, and always had a smile, a smile that would light up the room.
“He was very special to us. He was loved everywhere we went. We've been from Fort Myers to Alabama, and everybody loved him."
For more information, contact the funeral home, or Esau's cousins, La'Freda Portee, 904-860-0502; or Avia Burriss, 276-3918.
Note: This article was revised Nov. 18 to correct the spelling of Jentry Jamison-Smith's name.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Family seeks funds for Crestview boy's funeral