Loved ones of a Matteson native and pilot who was killed in a helicopter crash in New York City last week gathered Wednesday for his funeral in Newark, New Jersey.
Sean Johnson, a U.S. Navy veteran who attended flight school after his military service, was flying a helicopter tour for a family of five from Spain when the vehicle crashed into the Hudson River.
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WATCH HEREJohnson was remembered for his limitless ambition, with a longtime friend remarking on his love for aviation.
"He told me, back in like 2014, 'Hey, I want to be a pilot one day,' you know. So I'll never forget, you know, him telling me that, and it was so cool to see him eventually achieve his dream," fellow Navy veteran Remi Adeleke said.
Adeleke added that despite Johnson's military service, he was not a pilot in the Navy and often spoke of his dream to one day fly.
Johnson enrolled in flight school in 2020 after leaving the military and took to the skies for the first time in 2023.
"He wanted to show kids from the inner city of Chicago, like you come from this side of the globe, but that doesn't mean you can't become a pilot," Adeleke said.
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