Joint service for fallen Douglas friends set for Saturday

A memorial service is Saturday for two friends who died at Zephyr Cove beach last weekend.

The joint service for Alexander Haas and Timothy Coleman is 10 a.m. at Hilltop Community Church, 3616 N. Sunridge Drive in Jacks Valley.

The bodies of the two 2005 Douglas High School graduates were found at Lake Tahoe July 22.

Haas' mother, Leslie Haas, said Thursday that the last four days had been filled with tears as well as laughter.

"It's a time of love swelling in our home," Leslie Haas said. "It's the strength of love. The glory of the Lord has been upon us the past four days."

She said they invited the Coleman family to be part of the memorial.

"Tim and Alex grew up together playing soccer," she said. "It's amazing how many people knew them. My boy was part of their family."

There will be a microphone open "for as long as it takes" at Saturday's service and people are encouraged to share their experiences about the young men.

Leslie Haas told what she called a miracle story about her sons, Alex and Roland, 23.

"The boys went to Grover Hot Springs and were hiking up to the falls and a butterfly was with them the whole time," she said.

Alex and Roland Haas took photographs under the waterfall and the butterfly stayed with them.

"Rollie put his arm out and the butterfly landed on him," Leslie Haas said. "Alex captured the shot and said he was going to put it on a CD.

"Roland said if he died he wanted it (the CD) played at his funeral and four days later Alex dies."

She said that Alex's death is especially hard on Roland because he felt it was the beginning of a tighter relationship with his brother.

"An angel - that butterfly was an angel," Leslie Haas said. "God was there."

Retired law enforcement officer Dave Giacoletto was a neighbor of the Colemans when they lived in Newark, Calif.

"My son and Tim were best friends but they moved away when he was 12," said Giacoletto about the last time he saw Coleman.

"We used to take Tim and his sister Cassie along when we went camping in the RV," he said. "Just going to Wal-Mart and to lunch with my son, he'd be happy.

"I threw this kid a football when he was about 10 and I said, 'This kid's going to be an athlete,'" he said.

"It just broke my heart to hear about him - he'd have been an athlete. He was a great kid."

The cause of death of the young men, both 19, is under investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Investigators said there was no indication of criminal activity.

Results are pending on what caused the deaths of Haas and Coleman pending findings of the Washoe County Coroner's Office toxicology reports. Tests could take up to eight weeks to complete.

An account has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank to help the family of Timothy Coleman with funeral expenses.

Donations can be made to the Timothy Coleman Fund at any Wells Fargo Branch, account number 8302209393, or in care of ScottsDale Plumbing and Excavation, 1390 Centerville Lane, Gardnerville, NV, 89410.

Timothy Coleman Fund

Wells Fargo Bank, account #8302209393

Or in care of: ScottsDale Plumbing and Excavation

1390 Centerville Lane, Gardnerville, NV 89410

782-3778

Services for Timothy Coleman and Alexander Haas

Hilltop Community Church

3616 N. Sunridge Drive, Jacks Valley

10 a.m. July 29