Thank you everyone for the love and support!
- Thread starter stoti
- Start date
My condolences on your immense loss. Words cannot express my heartfelt prayers for you and your family.
Upvote 0
I have no words , I am just so sorry for you and your family. Thoughts and prayers from Peri and I.
Upvote 0
Dont' know what to say Kevin. I have no idea what I would do if my child was taken from me.
If there is anything you need from us here on the forums please let us know. I am sure if any of us are close we would be willing to meet up for a meal or to go out and do something. Just let us know.
Again sorry about your loss and I hope your family all the best.
If there is anything you need from us here on the forums please let us know. I am sure if any of us are close we would be willing to meet up for a meal or to go out and do something. Just let us know.
Again sorry about your loss and I hope your family all the best.
Upvote 0
My deepest condolences. I’m a huge fan of Team Stoti.
mealtrain.com
Meal Train for The Stoughton Family
This family and our wonderful community was struck with such a tragedy this past couple days. You all have been reaching out on ways to help and this is a start. Please support this family with providing meals and donations to help cover all the expenses that they will be seeing in the next few...
mealtrain.com Upvote 0
So sorry for your loss, Kevin. Such tragic news; I can't imagine losing a child at such a young age. My condolences and hope that time will help you and your family heal from this painful loss.
Upvote 0
Kevin,
I'm so sorry that you lost your son Cooper!
I have prayed to Jesus for you and your family for special strength for such a time as this —
and for faith & trust, when the human mind can't comprehend the incomprehensible.
I believe that one day our eyes will be opened to see the invisible — and to finally understand.
Hugs from Peru,
Matthias
I'm so sorry that you lost your son Cooper!
I have prayed to Jesus for you and your family for special strength for such a time as this —
and for faith & trust, when the human mind can't comprehend the incomprehensible.
I believe that one day our eyes will be opened to see the invisible — and to finally understand.
Hugs from Peru,
Matthias
Upvote 0
Gosh this hurts me to my core. I’m so so sorry for your loss. I wish there was something I could say or do but all I can say is I pray that you can find some kind of peace and comfort throughly these rough times. God bless you and your family
Upvote 0
Kevin, my friend, I am still at a loss of words. My emotions are so scattered right now, and I’m having a really tough time because my own personality trait is to help someone fix things, and I feel helpless that I can’t.
To all- understand this isn’t about me, none of this is. It’s about a man with two boys that I personally met thru this forum, and something clicked. The one thing I’ve never told Kevin, is how envious I was of the time he spent with Cooper and Alex. When I first joined AGN, I did like all do, and cruised thru the forum. Then this thread pops up of someone asking all to show off their PCP’s.
Here pops up this guy called STOTI, and man what beautiful Airguns he had, especially that silver one. I look thru the pics he shared with all, and then I see pics of Alex and Cooper, each with ear to ear grins, just having the time of their life out with dad.
As time went on and Kevin put up more show and tell pics, I didn’t care anymore about the gear, bling blang stuff or that shiny silver surfer impact of his anymore...it was the pics of him yuking it up with his boys I was looking forward to. And here’s why I envied Kevin so much for- those pics took me to a time in my life, that came and went bye bye, with no pics of me doing things like that with my own son. I got caught up trying to provide for my family, thru countless hours and working miles away from home. I thought I was doing the right thing, to just provide. But looking back, I missed a lot of important moments, moments like I saw with Kevin doing fun stuff with his boys. Yes, it was that I envied the most. Reading Kevin’s posts and seeing both his boys having a great time, i looked forward to them, sorta like when a soldier out at war away from family, gets handed a handful of letters from his loved ones writing to him. He can’t wait to read them them giving him the feeling like he was back home...
Then in 2021 I got the great opportunity to meet Kevin and Cooper in person at the annual Airgun expo in Placerville, CA. The oldest boy, Alex, unfortunately wasn’t able to make it. We all went out to lunch together after the show and that’s when I got a chance to meet Cooper. He had the best of laughs, and I noticed that he(Cooper)genuinely gave you all of his attention while chatting, and I also noticed he was a great listener, and didn’t try to take over the conversation. All that impressed me, but most of all, he never once pulled out his phone while All three of us were chatting during lunch. Everything I witnessed in that one hour lunch, is a true rarity with kids today.
I left that show knowing I had made friends with two great guys in this hobby, and we kept in touch as time went on.
Fast forward to rmac 2023, last June. Kevin said he was going along with both sons, so I’m thinking right on, I’ll finally meet Alex.we had lunch together along with sharing a table at the banquet awards ceremony. I had the boys laughing over my silly cartoons.
Now get this- Cooper was in my heat. During qualifiers, which is a stressful moment(for me, anyway), with five minutes before the range master would tell us to start shooting, I get this tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and it was Cooper standing there with his hand out. I’m freaking seatin bullets worried about my gear being perfect, and I looked at Cooper and asked “what?”
He looked at me right into my eyes and shook my hand and wished me the best of luck. I said “you, too, Coop” and watched him calmly walk over to his bench, and I thought, man, what a great kid, he is.
On round two of the qualifiers, he did it again. Cooper and I made the finals, and he did it again before that.
Wait!! You all are wondering if I made a mistake? A 13 year old making the finals at rmac? His very first 100 yard competition? Yes, he made it. And for those of you that didn’t know, Cooper was an awesome shooter. I watched him do all the right things- breathing, being calm, eyes never pulled off of his scope, yes, he knew what he was doing. A couple of times during qualifiers I was genuinely worried that he’d bump me out with better scores.
Kevin, you’ve done a great job with these sons of yours, don’t ever wonder or have doubts. I’ve been on AGN now since 2017, and I have yet to see as many father and son moments as much as I’ve seen you share with others. I always knew, from your pics, that you were proud of them, and they both truly enjoyed being there. It was all genuine.
I’m gonna miss you, Coop.
To all- understand this isn’t about me, none of this is. It’s about a man with two boys that I personally met thru this forum, and something clicked. The one thing I’ve never told Kevin, is how envious I was of the time he spent with Cooper and Alex. When I first joined AGN, I did like all do, and cruised thru the forum. Then this thread pops up of someone asking all to show off their PCP’s.
Here pops up this guy called STOTI, and man what beautiful Airguns he had, especially that silver one. I look thru the pics he shared with all, and then I see pics of Alex and Cooper, each with ear to ear grins, just having the time of their life out with dad.
As time went on and Kevin put up more show and tell pics, I didn’t care anymore about the gear, bling blang stuff or that shiny silver surfer impact of his anymore...it was the pics of him yuking it up with his boys I was looking forward to. And here’s why I envied Kevin so much for- those pics took me to a time in my life, that came and went bye bye, with no pics of me doing things like that with my own son. I got caught up trying to provide for my family, thru countless hours and working miles away from home. I thought I was doing the right thing, to just provide. But looking back, I missed a lot of important moments, moments like I saw with Kevin doing fun stuff with his boys. Yes, it was that I envied the most. Reading Kevin’s posts and seeing both his boys having a great time, i looked forward to them, sorta like when a soldier out at war away from family, gets handed a handful of letters from his loved ones writing to him. He can’t wait to read them them giving him the feeling like he was back home...
Then in 2021 I got the great opportunity to meet Kevin and Cooper in person at the annual Airgun expo in Placerville, CA. The oldest boy, Alex, unfortunately wasn’t able to make it. We all went out to lunch together after the show and that’s when I got a chance to meet Cooper. He had the best of laughs, and I noticed that he(Cooper)genuinely gave you all of his attention while chatting, and I also noticed he was a great listener, and didn’t try to take over the conversation. All that impressed me, but most of all, he never once pulled out his phone while All three of us were chatting during lunch. Everything I witnessed in that one hour lunch, is a true rarity with kids today.
I left that show knowing I had made friends with two great guys in this hobby, and we kept in touch as time went on.
Fast forward to rmac 2023, last June. Kevin said he was going along with both sons, so I’m thinking right on, I’ll finally meet Alex.we had lunch together along with sharing a table at the banquet awards ceremony. I had the boys laughing over my silly cartoons.
Now get this- Cooper was in my heat. During qualifiers, which is a stressful moment(for me, anyway), with five minutes before the range master would tell us to start shooting, I get this tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and it was Cooper standing there with his hand out. I’m freaking seatin bullets worried about my gear being perfect, and I looked at Cooper and asked “what?”
He looked at me right into my eyes and shook my hand and wished me the best of luck. I said “you, too, Coop” and watched him calmly walk over to his bench, and I thought, man, what a great kid, he is.
On round two of the qualifiers, he did it again. Cooper and I made the finals, and he did it again before that.
Wait!! You all are wondering if I made a mistake? A 13 year old making the finals at rmac? His very first 100 yard competition? Yes, he made it. And for those of you that didn’t know, Cooper was an awesome shooter. I watched him do all the right things- breathing, being calm, eyes never pulled off of his scope, yes, he knew what he was doing. A couple of times during qualifiers I was genuinely worried that he’d bump me out with better scores.
Kevin, you’ve done a great job with these sons of yours, don’t ever wonder or have doubts. I’ve been on AGN now since 2017, and I have yet to see as many father and son moments as much as I’ve seen you share with others. I always knew, from your pics, that you were proud of them, and they both truly enjoyed being there. It was all genuine.
I’m gonna miss you, Coop.
Upvote 0
I most humbly submit heart felt condolences and a few thoughts as a fellow sojourner.
The lost of any child regardless of their age at passing, is the most devastating tribulation one can experience in this life!
The lost of a child cuts one off from a future where all those dreams of that might have been resides.
Sadly these wounds are very deep and do not heal with time as some non sojourners might say.
Rather over time one accepts the hand you were dealt and somehow you come to terms with it in the best ways you can on a daily journey up the mountain. But there is a peace and comfort for believers knowing that at some future time and place all your painful questions will be answered. As for providing encouragement thread very lightly as your in a minefield where those deep wounds expose raw emotions of anger and a nameless unspeakable pain walks the dark landscape! So endeavor to keep those sojourners in your prayers, until they can find their way back from their dark journey.
The lost of any child regardless of their age at passing, is the most devastating tribulation one can experience in this life!
The lost of a child cuts one off from a future where all those dreams of that might have been resides.
Sadly these wounds are very deep and do not heal with time as some non sojourners might say.
Rather over time one accepts the hand you were dealt and somehow you come to terms with it in the best ways you can on a daily journey up the mountain. But there is a peace and comfort for believers knowing that at some future time and place all your painful questions will be answered. As for providing encouragement thread very lightly as your in a minefield where those deep wounds expose raw emotions of anger and a nameless unspeakable pain walks the dark landscape! So endeavor to keep those sojourners in your prayers, until they can find their way back from their dark journey.
Upvote 0
Kevin and family, our prayers go out to you for your tragic loss. He was a great kid, and I and the Team are privileged to have shot with him in Oregon and Utah.
Upvote 0