‘He was always helping’: Travis Colby remembered at memorial

Travis Colby, 30, is shown in an undated photo. Supplied.

A man who died after allegedly trying to break up a fight outside of a Stony Plain bar was remembered by family and friends Monday.

Hundreds attended the memorial for Travis Colby, 30, in Stony Plain Monday afternoon.

“It wouldn’t matter who it was, or what was going on, he was always going to help them,” Milo Colby, Travis’ father said. “[He would] give you the shirt off his back, give you his last change, he was always helping.”

Last week, CTV News learned Colby had passed away, days after trying to break up a fight outside of the Old Stony Bar, it’s believed that as Colby tried to step in, he was punched in the head and knocked unconscious.

He was rushed to hospital, but never regained consciousness, and was taken off life support Tuesday.

At Monday’s memorial, friends and family recalled the man, a father of two, as a protector.

It’s a name Colby continued to earn even in death, as many of his organs were donated, and have already helped others.

“He will always be everybody’s protector and guardian angel where he is,” Chris Goebel, Travis’ friend, said.

Last week, RCMP in Stony Plain said Steven Kovacs Harkins, 19, had been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death – currently, he’s out on bail, news Colby’s family didn’t agree.

“He’s walking around, our son is not and that is not acceptable,” Shirley Colby, Travis’ mother, said.

Shirley Colby said this tragedy shows a need for more protection for bar staff, to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.

“What they need there is better security, better monitoring,” Shirley Colby said. “Those are the things they need so this won’t happen to another bouncer again.”

With files from Ashley Molnar