Princeton man yelled for his children to run out of burning home before dying

The Collin County Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate the cause of the deadly fire at the 5800 block of Shady Hill Circle in Princeton. The fire broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. Monday.

According to a spokesperson for the Princeton Fire Department, firefighters rescued a man from the home. The man was transported to the hospital and died a short time later.

Tributes for Troy Scheffman have been posted across social media.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of one of our beloved volunteers, Troy Scheffman,” the nonprofit Streetside Showers said in this Facebook post.

Paul Scrivano, a friend of Scheffman’s, said the Knights of Columbus Council #12153 at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney volunteered at Streetside Showers monthly. Scheffman would help cook meals for those experiencing homelessness.

“Troy was always the one to fill in the blanks when someone wasn’t able to cook for them,” Paul Scrivano said. Scrivano is also the president of Council #12153.

“Troy would give you the shirt off his back if it was the last shirt he owned. That was the kind of man he was,” Scrivano said.

Scrivano said he met Scheffman about four years ago through the Knights of Columbus.

“Troy was the Grand Knight here shortly after I joined the council,” Scrivano said. The Grand Knight is also the president of the organization. “Basically, he encouraged me to eventually take on the same role.”

Scrivano said Scheffman’s absence is already felt throughout the church.

“He is so well loved here at the council and at the church,” Scrivano said.

“Frankly, the entire parish is grieving right now,” Fr. Eugene Okoli said. Okoli is the lead pastor at St. Gabriel’s. He met Scheffman and his family nearly 15 years ago.

“He is somebody you cannot meet and pass by,” Okoli said.

Okoli said the last time he saw Scheffman was Sunday morning at mass.

“He was here for 7:30 a.m. mass. He doesn’t ever miss,” Okoli said. “For me to hear early in the morning on Monday that he was no more, it was shocking. It’s trauma for everybody.”

In a private meeting accompanied by two other priests, Okoli met with Scheffman’s wife and children.

“There is not going to be a normal for them anymore,” Okoli said. “I think it’s more about community support, friendship, encouragement, words of faith to know that people are there for them, that God is there for them. Maybe even right now, for them, (if they wonder) where is that God?”

Okoli said Scheffman’s wife was out of town at the time of the fire. He was home with their adult children.

“Their dad said, ‘You all get out’. That’s what the daughter was telling me when we spoke,” Okoli said. “She literally was pulling out her younger brothers.”

Just hours after learning about his tragic death, friends of the family gathered for mass and filled the chapel to pray a rosary.

“It was amazing how many people came. It was amazing,” Scrivano said. “I’ve never seen so many grown men cry.”

Scrivano said another rosary will be offered for Scheffman on Wednesday after the regularly scheduled evening mass.

“We are going to come here as a group,” Scrivano said. “We are going to miss him.”

Friends are helping raise funds online to cover the funeral expenses.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do without him,” Scrivano said.