WDBJ-TV

Adam Ward, 27, was killed Wednesday alongside WDBJ-TV reporter Alison Parker by a former co-worker. But those who loved him say that while his loss is devastating, they've found comfort in sharing funny stories about Ward and relating jokes he loved to tell poking fun at the rival of his favorite football team and alma mater, Virginia Tech.

Here is a look at some of the stories shared during Ward's funeral in Roanoke:

STANDUP COMEDY

Flanagan offered a variety of motives before he killed himself Wednesday: A rambling 23-page manifesto sent to a national news network described his ambush as revenge for the killings of nine black people inside a church in South Carolina, which prompted federal hate crime charges against a white suspect. 

On social media, Flanagan claimed his victims, 24-year-old Alison Parker and 27-year-old Adam Ward, had wronged him.

Within hours, the carefully scripted carnage carried out by a disgruntled former colleague spread to millions of viewers gripped by what had transformed into a social media storm. 

The governor initially described a car chase on his weekly radio show, with police on the shooter's tail on an interstate highway.

The show began with an image of the two victims — reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward — and the words "In Memory."

Morning anchor Kim McBroom, who was on the air Wednesday morning when the shooting happened, briefly fought through tears as she prepared for the newscast Thursday. On the air, McBroom said, "We come to you with heavy hearts. Two of our own were shot during a live shot yesterday morning." She noted the outpouring of support that followed the deaths.