Photo provided by The Cowden Family shows shooting victim Gordon W. Cowden (Photo: AP)
The first funeral of Gordon Cowden, 51, was the oldest of the victims of Friday's rampage at a sold-out show of "The Dark Knight Rises" packed mostly with young people in the Colorado city of Aurora on Wednesday.
He had gone to the movie with his teenage children, who escaped unharmed.
"A quick-witted world traveller with a keen sense of humour, he will be remembered for his devotion to his children and for always trying his best to do the right thing, no matter the obstacle," his family said in a statement.
A native of Waco, Texas, Cowden lived in Aurora, where he owned his own real estate appraisal business.
The family statement described Cowden as a "true Texas gentleman."
His service at Pathways Church in Denver was closed to the media.
Cowden was survived by four children: Kristian, 21, a student at Colorado State University, Weston, 20, who attends the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and high school students Brooke, 17, and Cierra, 16.
"Your dad is now your very special angel. May you know that he will always comfort you and keep you safe. We are so sorry for your loss," Aurora residents Sheryl and Norman Pitts wrote in an online memorial book.
Services are scheduled in Aurora Thursday for 23-year-old Micayla Medek, a college student who worked at a sandwich shop and was saving money for a trip to India.
A funeral with full military honors is planned for next week in Reno, Nevada, for Jon Blunk, 26, who died in the shooting after pushing his girlfriend Jansen Young under a theatre seat, saving her life.
Blunk, a Nevada native, served three tours of duty in the US Navy in the Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea between 2004 and 2009. He is the father of two young children.
Details of services for other victims have not been announced.
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