‘We love him:’ Family, friends release balloons to honor New Braunfels man killed in Wisconsin plane crash

SAN ANTONIO – Debbie Moreno said she’s hoping to send one final message to her grandson, Zachary Collie-Moreno.

“We want to let him know that his legacy will go on and his passion will go on as much as we can possibly do that for him,” Moreno said. “We want to send him a little message.”

Moreno joined family and friends in releasing dozens of blue balloons in her grandson’s honor on Saturday.

Collie-Moreno, 20, was one of the two New Braunfels residents who died after a plane crash a few weeks ago near Oshkosh, Wis.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are currently investigating the crash. Just weeks after his death, Moreno said she wanted to honor her grandson and his love of flying.

“He was just full of joy,” Moreno said. “Whatever he set his mind on, that’s what he wanted to do.”

Devyn Reiley, a friend of Collie-Moreno, was the pilot of that plane. Collie-Moreno did not have his pilot’s license, but he worked closely with jets and planes.

In his obituary, the family said Collie-Moreno graduated from Hallmark University Aeronautics Technician School in 2022 with Associate Degrees in Airframe and Powerplant and then was hired as an Air Force jet mechanic for Randolph Air Force Base in 2023. He also volunteered at the Commemorative Air Force.

“It feels really proud that he was able to do that and reach out to so many people,” Moreno said.

On Saturday, dozens of family and friends gathered to share photos and memories of Collie-Moreno. Together, they wrote messages and attached them to balloons, eventually releasing them into the sky.

“I wrote ‘fly with the angels, Zach,’” family friend Diane Lopez said. “Because he loved to be out on planes, and he’s up there with them now.”

His family said the Commemorative Air Force is also setting up a scholarship in his honor.

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