Funeral held in Stamford synagogue for Louis Felder

Stamford, Conn. (WTNH) - Mourners in Stamford paid their respects to one of the victims in the Manchester Massacre.

Service was held at the Orthodox Agudat Shalom Synagogue Wednesday evening for 50-year-old Louis Felder, the first of the Manchester victims to be laid to rest.

The casket was carried into the synagogue where some 500 people gathered. Felder's wife, two sons and daughter were joined by family and what appeared to be many friends of the children.

Felder was working as operations manager at Hartford Distributors when he was shot and killed Tuesday morning. He is described as a family man and very active in the Orthodox Jewish community in Stamford.

People there are still grappling with what one person called a senseless death. Family members told News 8 they are trying to remember how Louis Felder lived and not the manner of his death.

“He took a good friend a good person, a family person, a guy who was literally the life of a party,” said Zalman Hagler, a cousin. “He could walk in a room and make everybody laugh. He didn’t have to know you, he could have just met you and you would have been laughing. That’s the type of person he was.”

The rabbi told News 8’s Erin Cox it is Jewish tradition to bury someone with in 24 hours, but it is very rare to actually be able to do that.

The Felder family felt strongly and appealed to Jewish leaders to help them honor this tradition. They say to do so was the ultimate way to honor Mr. Louis Felder's faith.