GIn the quiet hours before dawn, a North Texas neighborhood was rocked by a sudden blaze — leaving behind charred walls, unanswered questions, and a heartbreaking loss that has shaken an entire community.
Troy Scheffman, a Princeton, Texas father, died after rescuing his children from a house fire early Monday morning, March 24, 2025.
The fire broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. on the 5800 block of Shady Hill Circle, according to the Collin County Fire Marshal’s Office, which is continuing its investigation into the cause of the blaze.
Firefighters responded to the scene and rescued a man from the burning home. He was transported to the hospital, where he died shortly after, officials said. That man was later identified as Troy Scheffman.
Troy was home with his adult children at the time of the fire. His wife was out of town. According to Fr. Eugene Okoli, the lead pastor at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney, Troy instructed his children to get out of the house. “Their dad said, ‘You all get out.’ That’s what the daughter was telling me when we spoke,” Fr. Eugene shared. “She literally was pulling out her younger brothers.”
Tributes honoring Troy have since appeared across social media. Streetside Showers, a nonprofit organization, wrote in a Facebook post, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of one of our beloved volunteers, Troy Scheffman. Troy was one of my chef’s and I have lost count of the number of meals he has prepared for Streetside Showers. He LOVED Streetside Showers with all his heart and supporting you one of the highlights of his amazing life [sic].”
Paul Scrivano, president of the Knights of Columbus Council #12153 at St. Gabriel described Troy’s dedication to helping others. “Troy was always the one to fill in the blanks when someone wasn’t able to cook for them,” Paul said, referring to his volunteer work cooking meals for those experiencing homelessness. “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.”…