Against a sea of pink and the familiar strains of Great is Thy Faithfulness, family, friends, classmates and teachers on Sunday bid a tearful and emotional farewell to 13-year-old Kemelia Paul, whose tragic death after trying to intervene in a fight touched hearts across Jamaica.

The thanksgiving service, held at the Excelsior High School Auditorium, celebrated the life of a teenager remembered not for the violence that claimed her life, but for the joy, kindness and compassion she shared with everyone around her.

In a heartfelt eulogy, her uncle, Leondrue Mitchell, described Kemelia as “a beautiful soul” whose smile, love of dancing and infectious laughter brightened every room she entered.