Crash victim loved the Lord, family

Dustin Pope was one of the most genuine people he’d ever met, he loved the Lord and he loved his family, a friend recalled.

Dustin Brett Pope, 35, passed away last week, heroically serving on a UMMC AirCare helicopter that crashed in Madison County.

Two colleagues, 37-year-old critical care paramedic Jakob Kindt of Tupelo and 62-year-old pilot Cal Wesolowski of Starkville, also died.

Pope began his career in public service in 2010 as a student nurse at Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian, working in the Critical Care Unit (CCU).

He continued in the CCU but often floated to other units including the Emergency Room (ER) and telemetry. Pope also worked in the ICU and ER at Neshoba General.

Before joining the AirCare team in 2017, Pope worked for Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian and often staffed in two of their critical access hospitals in Dekalb and Union.

His diverse experience helped prepared him for his ultimate goal of becoming a flight nurse with AirCare.

Pope lived most of his life in the Arlington community and was a member of Macedonia Revival Center. He had a deep love for farming, raising cows, and fishing, but above all, he cherished spending time with his children.

He is survived by his wife Tabatha Adcock Pope; parents, Sylvia and Eldon Pope; daughters, Lexi Reese Pope, Harper Laine Pope; son, Rhett Kutler Pope; brothers, Jody Pope (Sarah), Casey Pope (Kelli); mother and father-in-law, Ronald and Toni Adcock; six nieces, four nephews and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, family and friends.

An outpouring of support and remembrance for Pope has filled social media.

“In getting to know Dustin Pope, I found him to be one of the most genuine people I ever met,” his friend Michael Stokes wrote on Facebook. “He loved his family, and he loved the Lord. He had a love for life and a way of making people smile and laugh. I consider it an honor to call him a friend the past few years. Keep his family in your prayers as they face an immeasurable loss.”

Kaylee Jones shared in a Facebook comment, “He was my nurse when I was in third grade, and he was and still is the nicest nurse I’ve ever been treated by.”

Funeral services were held on Sunday, March 16, at Macedonia Revival Center, with Rev. Bert Jones officiating. The service was also livestreamed on Facebook.

As a final tribute, first responders honored Pope by suspending an American flag between two fire brigade cranes over the funeral procession as he was laid to rest.