AFTON -- Knowledge, compassion and grace.

Those were just three of the words used to describe Ken Ripley Friday at funeral services Friday afternoon for the veteran Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officer, whose body was found Monday morning in his office on Lancaster Road in Washington County.

Dozens of TWRA colleagues, representatives from other law enforcement agencies and several hundred friends and relatives filled the Jeffers Funeral Chapel here.

Interment was at the nearby Stone Dam United Methodist Church cemetery. Ripley's hearse was accompanied by about 100 vehicles, many with blue lights flashing, including many distinctive green TWRA vans and trucks.

Emotions ran deep at the service.

Ripley, 59, a Greene County native and Chuckey-Doak High School graduate, was characterized as a dedicated educator who served as both a mentor and a friend to family members and countless TWRA officers.

"You wanted to make a difference, and you did make a difference," Ripley's brother Robert said during the service.

Ken Ripley, of Gray, was a TWRA wildlife officer for nearly 32 years, serving in recent years as a boating investigator.

He died of a gunshot wound. The circumstances of his death remained under investigation Friday, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kristin Helm said.

An autopsy was scheduled this week in Johnson City. The TBI awaits a medical examiner's report and had not released other details about Ripley's death as of Friday.

"This case is still an open death investigation," Helm said in an email response to questions.

Uniformed TWRA officers in white gloves flanked Ripley's flower-covered casket at the chapel, and others lined the walls during the service.

Law enforcement agencies represented at the service included the Greene County Sheriff's Department, the Greeneville Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Johnson City Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Department.

Some law enforcement representatives traveled a considerable distance to attend, including officers from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The Rev. Lloyd Jones, senior pastor at Gray United Methodist Church in Gray, presided at the service. Ripley, an active church member, served as an usher at last Sunday's service and was a dedicated member of the congregation, Jones said.

Many people still find it hard to believe that Ripley had passed away, Jones said. His loss affects many people, and is deeply felt among TWRA colleagues.

"He was a very, very good officer, and we're all trying to get our minds around it," said James McAfee, a TWRA officer based in Greene County.

Ripley's death "is a traumatic situation, unexpected and very sudden," McAfee said.

A slide presentation showing photographs of Ripley from childhood onward played as those attending the service filled the chapel.

Ripley was a computer enthusiast. He loved fishing and hunting, spending time with his family and sharing his extensive knowledge of nature with others, those who spoke at the service said.

Prior to working with the TWRA, Ripley served in the U.S. Air Force, and a military honor guard participated in Friday's ceremonies.

He was a graduate of East Tennessee State University, with a bachelor of science degree in biology.

Ripley was well known for his work as vice president of the Appalachian Fair Board.

Pallbearers at the funeral included Gary Range, Wayne Daughtry, Steve Jones, Pete Wyatt, Bill Smith, Bob Denny, David Crum and Gary McQuarter.

Honorary pallbearers included Gray United Methodist Church congregation members Rex Timbs, Stanley Byerley, Dave Hogan, Doug Ratledge, Pete Wyatt, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, and the members of Growing in Grace Sunday School Class of Gray United Methodist Church.