A fallen firefighter who served the Cape Fear for nearly two decades was honored by the community Thursday night with a drive-in funeral service. On Monday, firefighter Michael Stanley died as a result of a motorcycle accident that happened May 4. The Whiteville Fire Department organized an outdoor funeral for their former colleague at the Columbus County fairgrounds. “I think Chief Yergeau with Whiteville did an awesome job putting this together,” said New Hanover Fire Rescue Chief Donnie Hall. “There’s a lot of folks that could come here safely and have this opportunity.” Stanley served with Whiteville for 16 years before moving on to New Hanover in 2019. Whiteville Chief David Yergeau says his department is close knit and he got to know Stanley on a more personal level, making the news of his accident all the more painful.