Texas sculptor honors Corey Comperatore with statue at Buffalo Township fire hall
When retired Texas firefighter Nyal Stromberg made his latest sculpture, a process that took a month of molding and melting, he didn’t know Corey Comperatore’s name.
Few people did outside of the Alle-Kiski Valley before July 13, when Comperatore was gunned down at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler.
Stromberg and his mother-in-law, Jean Bowen, were supposed to be there, but the sweltering heat kept them away. Besides, the rally wasn’t the only reason Stromberg was in town.
The statue, which depicts a kneeling firefighter as he grips an American flag, was to be gifted to Butler County Community College as a tribute to his father-in-law. Kent Bowen taught at the institution, known for its public safety program, for many years and often made friends with firefighters as a reporter for Butler Radio Stations, Stromberg explained.
Then, he heard that a gunman opened fire in a failed assassination attempt at the Trump rally, killing Comperatore, seriously wounding two other attendees and nicking the former president’s ear. Like many Americans, Stromberg and his mother-in-law felt compelled to act in the wake of political violence.
“My mother-in-law, Jean, she was too distraught about (the shooting),” Stromberg said.
Over dinner, he raised to Bowen the possibility of lending the statue to the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, where Comperatore served as chief in the early 2000s and remained a member for life.
“Oh, that would be great. Let’s do that,” Stromberg recalled Bowen saying.
The life-size statue is made of bronze and has a hollow core — a difficult feat achieved through the lost-wax casting process. While it’s not meant to represent anyone in particular, there is a significant amount of detail on and around the solemn, mustached face.
It’s also quite heavy.
Kevin Smith, coordinator of fire and hazmat training programs at Butler County Community College, hauled it to the station, and a Buffalo Township public works employee used a high lift to get it off the truck and place it in the gravel lot.
Randy Reamer, president of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, said the station has Stromberg’s blessing to keep the statue for good, but no final decisions have been made.
The statue is just one example of how strangers from across the country have offered their well wishes and support to Comperatore’s family, the fire company and the surrounding community, Reamer said.
“It’s very much appreciated,” he said.
Gary Spangler, a captain at the fire station, said he has felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention.
“Packages show up almost daily. Our phone is still ringing off the hook,” Spangler said. “It has been hard to keep up.”
The bronze statue soon will have a companion, according to Spangler. A woman who goes by The Angel Lady plans to donate a 6-foot-tall statue of an angel. Spangler couldn’t offer any other information about the artist, but said she’ll be in town to dedicate it as soon as next week, as will Republican Senate candidate David McCormick.
When asked whether McCormick will be there, a campaign spokesperson said “details haven’t been nailed down yet.”
Lernerville Speedway also has a tribute planned. On Friday, the racetrack in Buffalo Township will play a video honoring Comperatore, hold a moment of silence and possibly have racers take a lap in missing man formation, according to General Manager Greg Geibel.
Spangler said he finds the persistent tributes uplifting.
“Seeing this outpouring of hope and camaraderie between different organizations throughout the country … gives you a renewed sense that society is still there,” Spangler said.
This story is published as part of a collaboration with TribLIVE.
