Thousands of mourners gather to farewell tragic Lamborghini crash victim Sophia Naismith at emotional funeral service
UPDATED: Sophia Naismith’s devastated family showed immense courage as they farewelled the gifted student and sportswoman at an emotional funeral in Adelaide on Friday.
The Advertiser attended Sophia’s funeral with permission from the Naismith family.
They had shown immense courage as they publicly paid tribute to their “angel” daughter and sister.
And as Sophia Patria Naismith’s coffin started its final journey yesterday, her grieving family was overwhelmed with emotion as hundreds of mourners applauded in a special guard of honour at the state’s main netball stadium.
Dressed in her sports team’s colours her devastated parents, Luke Naismith and Pia Vogrin, wept in silence and embraced her sisters Saskia, 13, and Ursula, 11, as the gifted student and sportswoman was farewelled by almost 2000 mourners.
Sophia, 15, died almost a fortnight ago after being struck and killed by an out-of-control Lamborghini sports car in Adelaide’s south.
Yesterday’s two-hour public memorial was at the Adelaide Thunderbirds’ Mile End home arena, an arena at which Sophia had cheered on her heroes and dreamt of her own sporting success.
At centre court was her casket – a symbolic shrine that epitomised her being at the forefront of many peoples’ lives.
In powerful eulogies, her parents both fought tears as they told of their pride at being their angel’s “number one fans”.
Sophia’s mother said the “senseless tragedy is a reminder about how precious our children are and how instantly life can be taken away”.
“When we want to remember how Sophia made us feel we will stand in the sunshine and let the warmth touch our heart and look upward at the glow radiating from the sun,” she said.
“And a reminder as a parent to be your child’s loudest cheer squad in whatever they pursue.” The couple told how growing up, the cheeky girl loved to dress up, dance on stage, gymnastics and doted on her siblings before finding a love of sport.
In her short life she had packed so much in, they said.
She excelled at school, had just landed her first job, and had been identified as one of the state’s top junior indoor, and beach, volleyballers.
She had competed for state and country.
She was a typical headstrong teenager – she loved the water, jetty jumping, boys, movies and had a celebrity crush on Hollywood actor Zac Efron.
Above all she loved her family and friends. Warning mourners he would cry – something his eldest daughter would gently tease him about – Mr Naismith described her as kind, open and honest.
He laughed as he recounted her three “looks” – sporting, glam and “Hobo”.
She had also developed a fourth “bikini selfie”.
“Sophia was special ... she was light- hearted but a truly sensitive and serious young lady,” he said.
“She had time, patience, compassion and general care about people.” His heartbroken family still cannot comprehend the tragedy.
“I am still struggling to believe this has happened to my beautiful baby, who wasn’t doing anything wrong,” he said.
“There is one thing (we) have taken from this ridiculous situation is we feel we may have had a true angel living with us for the past 15 years.”
Her sisters also bravely gave tributes, while Saskia fought grief to sing her sister’s favourite Bruno Mars song, Count on Me. It left every mourner in tears.
Sports coaches, her dance teacher and extended family paid tribute as pictures and videos flashed on a big screen.
Mourners dressed in their sports colours or uniforms.
Her best friend and fellow Year 10 Brighton High school student, Jordyn Callea, 15, who was injured in the crash, attended in a wheelchair.
Hundreds of family and friends gathered at her favourite beach, at Brighton, to watch the sun set yesterday.
A private funeral was held at a Brighton church on Tuesday. The driver has been charged over the crash.
