SPRINGFIELD -- Friends, family and former teammates gathered Monday to remember Ron Brace as a native son of Springfield, sports standout in Worcester, goofy friend, student athlete at Boston College and -- finally -- player for the New England Patriots.
Toward the end of the service, an open invitation was offered to any and all who wished to share a few words about Brace. Among the many to share their thoughts was Brian Flores, currently a linebackers coach for the Patriots.
Flores said that, at a franchise known for producing some great leaders, Brace definitely showcased that quality.
"I wanted to come up here and really talk about Ron," Flores said. "We talk about leadership a lot in our building, and Ron was definitely an incredible leader. He knew how to bring people together. White, Black, rich, poor -- it didn't matter."
Flores, who like Brace played his college ball at Boston College, has been with the Patriots as an assistant coach since 2004, when he was a scouting assistant, eventually working his way up to linebackers coach this offseason. During Brace's time in New England (2009-2012), Flores worked as a special teams coach, defensive assistant and safeties coach.
"Obviously, you can see from the outpouring of love that he made an impact on everybody here. We're going to miss him dearly," Flores said. "Like was said before, he wouldn't want us to cry too long for him. He'd want you to go out and lead and bring people together like he did. We love you Ron."
Flores was part of a small contingent from the Patriots present at the service inside St. John's Congregational Church in Springfield on Monday. When teammates from Brace's various level of play -- high school, college, NFL -- were asked to stand, a couple players stood to represent his teammates in New England.
A letter from Patriots owner Robert Kraft was also read during the service. Kraft wrote that he had "only fond memories" of his time with Brace as a Patriot.