'Your torch did not burn out:' Deputy Austin Aldridge memorialized during Celebration of Life

Deputy Austin Aldridge's character was extolled by friends, family and the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office Sunday afternoon during a Celebration of Life service held at the Church at the Mill in Moore.

The service occurred five days after Aldridge's shooting death in the line of duty. 

Shortly after, during the early evening hours, Aldridge, 25, was laid to rest at the nearby Westwood Memorial Gardens. Prior to the service, a funeral procession was held from Floyd's Mortuary in downtown Spartanburg to the church. The service commenced at 4 p.m. and lasted just over an hour.

Reverend Bill Morris from Lyman First Baptist Church, Aldridge's home church, gave the eulogy at the 2,000-person capacity, Church of the Mill. 

"You knew, behind that smiling face, there was a wall that stood between you and whatever harm may come your way," Morris said about Aldridge.

You can re-watch Aldridge's funeral service, above, via Church of the Mill's YouTube channel. 

Friends, family, and colleagues reminisced about what Aldridge meant to them, particularly noting his positive attitude and cheerful disposition. 

"The thing that stood out most was that big ol' smile," said Greg Satterfield, Uniform Patrol Captain for the Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Chuck Wright also talked about Aldridge's smile in his eulogy. 

"I told him one time I thought he was gonna get bugs in his teeth, he was smiling so much," said Sheriff Chuck Wright. "Grief is the price we pay when we love someone. By golly, I'm gonna pay that price."

Regardless of this grief, Wright said that he and his department will push forward. 

"We will carry your torch from here. Your torch did not go out Tuesday; it still burns bright," Wright said. "We've got it from here."

Satterfield recounted Aldridge's written reason for joining the Sheriff's Office.

"The reason I want to work as a police officer is because I want to help people, as well as show the community police are here to help," Aldridge wrote. 

Aldridge's sister, Stephanie Tenbrink, and his brother in law, Victor Tenbrink, spoke on behalf of the family. 

"Austin's name means 'magnificent.' That is the perfect embodiment of who he is, and I know that his legacy will be magnificent as well," Stephanie Tenbrink, Aldridge's older sister, said.

Victor Tenbrink, Austin's brother-in-law, noted Aldridge's maturity at a young age relative to his peers. 

"Austin enjoyed tabletop and video games, The Lord of the Rings, reading for fun, and working out at the gym," Aldridge's obituary read.

"Austin treasured time with family and an abundance of dedicated friends he referred to as, 'The Party.' Austin was a precious soul who loved the Lord and served on the security team at his home church, First Baptist Lyman in Lyman. He was kindhearted, slow to anger, patient, genuine, witty, brave and incredibly loyal to his family, friends and community."

A procession to burial at Westwood Memorial Gardens occurred after the service, where Aldridge was laid to rest. 

Aldridge leaves behind his wife, Jessica Link Aldridge. She is expecting their first child in February 2023, according to Aldridge's obituary. 

Aldridge was a former ninth-grade student at Byrnes High School and 2016 graduate of Wren High School in Piedmont in Anderson County. He played football at both Byrnes and Wren. He attended North Greenville University. Aldridge graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in 2019 and began his law enforcement career with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office on April 8, 2019.

A GoFundMe for Aldridge's wife and unborn child has raised over $180,000 via approximately 2,800 donations. 

Since Tuesday, several remembrances were held for Aldridge, including a candlelight vigil Friday night at the Sheriff's Office. 

The last law enforcement officer in the area to die in the line of duty was Spartanburg Police Department's Jason Gregory Harris, who died on April 13, 2017 in a motorcycle crash at the age of 39. The last law enforcement officer in the area to die as the result of gunfire was 39-year-old Deputy Sheriff Kevin Earl Carper.

Other than Carper's death, it had been almost a century since a member of the Sheriff's Office had died in the line of duty. 

Duane Leslie Heard is the 63-year-old Spartanburg County man charged with murder in relation to Aldridge's death. His case is being prosecuted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and he remains under medical care, according to police reports. 

Chalmers Rogland, a Wofford College graduate, covers public safety and breaking news for the Herald-Journal. Reach him via email at crogland@shj.com. Find him on Twitter @CRogland.