Family and friends farewell ‘happy and selfless’ Tina Kontozis

THE family of slain mother Tina Kontozis has spoken for the first time since her shocking death in her Bundeena, NSW, home last week.

Tina Kontozis and her son Daniel...Her funeral heard how he was the “love of her life”.

EXCLUSIVE

SLAIN mother Tina Kontozis was today remembered for the life she led and not the traumatic way it ended.

Leading the hundreds of mourners at her funeral was her 17-year-old son Daniel Boyd — who has stunned those around him with the brave way he is responding to the tragedy.

As those closest to her gathered at a viewing last night, it was Daniel who sought to comfort everyone else, his cousin Adam Kontozis told news.com.au.

Ms Kontozis former partner Stephen Boyd has been charged with her murder, two assaults and breaching an apprehended domestic violence order. He will appear in court again in June.

“With Daniel telling us, look it’s going to be OK, I’m going to be OK. I think that’s amazing for him to be comforting those who hadn’t been as close to Tina as he was. It shows a lot of emotional strength,” Mr Kontozis said.

Since she was killed, and Daniel injured in the April 24 attack at their home in Bundeena, the family have asked for privacy. But they have spoken to news.com.au on the day of her funeral to pay tribute to her and to send a message about violence against women.

News.com.au obtained permission from Daniel to name him.

“I think people should say something [if they suspect something is wrong]. If someone is willing to [cause harm], they’ll do anything — just say something,” Mr Kontozis told news.com.au.

“People deserve better, woman or man, they deserve better.”

Mourners blow bubbles as Tina Kontozis is taken away from her funeral service.

Hearing about people being killed by people they should feel protected from had become almost a daily ritual in Australia, he said.

“You hear about someone killing their wife, or their kids almost every day it’s almost like you become conditioned to it.”

But the 23-year-old hoped talking about their painful loss of Ms Kontozis — who he described as “happy and selfless” — would shine a light on violence against women.

“If it can happen to someone like Tina...I just pray it gives people the courage to speak up because speaking up can save a life.”

He had known other people to die before but the fact his aunt Tina had “so much innocence” broke his heart.

“No matter what the situation was she could always laugh and smile about it. She always found a reason to laugh.”

He wouldn’t have been surprised to see a picture of her next to the dictionary definition of happy — that was the sort of way the childcare worker lived her life.

“She basically raised a whole generation of kids in Bundeena through that kindergarten, she really did. What sort of selfless person spends time with kids and even writes a book for them? You can see what sort of person she was.”

A tribute to Tina Kontozis.

He said everyone who has spoken to the family since her death has had the same message: “They just feel humbled to have had her in their lives.”

The eulogy at today’s funeral at the Gymea Greek Orthodox Church heard of Ms Kontozis’s dedication to her son, her only child.

“Tina was overjoyed when she gave birth to her pride and joy, her beloved Daniel, who was the love of her life. Daniel was a very fortunate boy to have had such a loving, caring and happy-go-lucky mother, who would always put his needs before hers.”

Mourners were told it was telling her family couldn’t find a photo of her by herself, because she was always surrounded by so many people.

With his mother gone and his father in police custody, a Go Fund Me page has been set up by a family friend to try and support Daniel. By this afternoon $15,000 had been raised.

Mr Kontozis said Daniel tried calling him the night his mother was killed.

He next saw Daniel at the hospital. They shook hands “like brothers”. Even now, days later, he is in awe at the strength his cousin showed that night.

Tina Kontozis was always happy and selfless, her devastated family say. Picture: Facebook

“What amazed me is he could run through every single detail of what happened in that house and to me that shocked me, it really did it shocked me. It shocked me to hear what happened — I don’t know how he go through all that, I really don’t.”

He returned to the house last night with his aunt and uncle, but Mr Kontozis isn’t sure if he would ever be able to stay there again.

They have spoken each day and he has stayed with him as family rallied around him ahead of today’s funeral.

Mr Kontozis said he didn’t know if he was feeling anger or grief on a day he “never wanted to happen”.

But he vowed to protect his cousin in the way Ms Kontozis would have wanted.

“Daniel is lucky to have you for as long as you did. His strength since that dark day is something which is admired by everyone,” he wrote to Tina in an online tribute.

* The go fund me page set up to support Daniel Boyd can befound here.

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Originally published as Family and friends farewell ‘happy and selfless’ Tina Kontozis