Annika Ferry: Funeral of ‘funny and goofy’ student who died at North Head in tragic accident
At an emotional funeral service, family and friends have paid tribute to Annika Ferry — the young woman who died in a tragic North Head accident — where she was fondly remembered as a “funny and goofy” daughter as well as a sister who “loved life, and life loved her back”.
Manly
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The father of Annika Ferry who died tragically at North Head described her as “funny and goofy”, “natural and beautiful” in a final public letter to her that he read out at her funeral.
Dr Jim Ferry told the 70-strong congregation on Monday and others watching the live stream of the service in Scotland, England and Sweden, that “darling Anni’ was a “most beautiful daughter and a most beautiful sister”.
Annika, 21, was with her friend Bec Bennett, taking photos at sunrise, when she fell from an old military bunker and died on June 24.
Addressing Annika at her funeral at Manly Life Church in Fairlight, Mr Ferry said “you seemed to touch everyone you met, people did not forget you”.
He said the brilliant university engineering student who achieved a fantastic ATAR, was also great at sport including tennis, climbing and soccer.
“Thank you for scoring all the goals”, he said.
She was a good musician, a guitarist who also wrote songs and performed.
She also loved to paint, completely spontaneously and was a “hilarious actor”.
Mr Ferry, who wore a yellow tie and yellow knitted flower on his lapel to represent Annika’s “joyfulness”, spoke about her as an environmentalist.
He told her she would love her final resting spot at Frenchs Forest Bushland Cemetery, with a natural log headstone, where she would be surrounded by lots of wallabies and native plants.
“You would approve,” he said.
He also said she would laugh at his plans to get a tattoo of her name on his chest.
Annika’s mother Helen, wearing yellow, also spoke saying how her daughter “loved life and life loved her back” and how she watched her develop with “immense pride”.
“She was commander and captain without the stripes,” she said.
“She was an exceptional human being”.
She said Annika packed much into her life, “she was organised and very determined”.
She said she became a vegetarian, then a vegan and she was concerned about the environment.
“She knew there was no ‘planet B’,” Mrs Ferry said.
Her brothers Anton and Christian also spoke about how she was the “coolest girl” and a “beautiful soul”.
She was “pure happiness and peace,” said Anton. While Christian said Annika believed people should “eat more plants and do more yoga”, and that they grew sunflowers together, her favourite flower, with many in the congregation sporting one.
Her naughty side was revealed by her former Queenwood Principal Elizabeth Stone who said she didn’t mind not following the rules and was once caught throwing Easter eggs off a balcony.
She also said there was an ‘Annika Ferry Fan Club’ at the school, as she managed to reach
out and help many other students of all ages, a rare ability.
Ms Stone said Annika “had a gaggle of worshippers” and “was regarded as a goddess” by the young students.
An emotional Bec Bennett, 21, who was by her side when she died, read a speech she wrote for Annika’s 21st birthday, which she forgot to take with her to the event in January, but wanted to share today.
“I’m so grateful for our friendship,” she read from the letter.
“You’re such a brilliant, talented, ambitious young lady.
“I’m so excited to see the undoubtedly spectacular things you will conquer in the years to come.”
She went on to say “never leave me please I would be lost without you”.
Family and friends were invited to each lay a sunflower on her white wicker coffin at the end of the ceremony.
The funeral was followed by a private burial and an informal gathering of friends and family at Clontarf Reserve.
A beautiful send-off in for nature-loving Annika
With the warm winter sun on their faces mourners sat at Clontarf Reserve to remember an ‘exceptional human being’ Annika Ferry.
Family and Friends of the 21-year-old were invited to remember the brilliant engineering student at the harbourside setting on Monday afternoon, following a private funeral at Manly Life Church and burial at French Forest Cemetery.
With boats bobbing gently on the calm water as a backdrop, friends did handstands, walked a tightrope and threw frisbees.
Most of the crowd of 150 were content to sit on the grass listening to chilled music from a portable speaker.
The sound of gentle chatter was occasionally interrupted by a cork popping or a can of VB being opened or laughter at failed attempts to balance on the tightrope.
Suit jackets were removed and some funeral outfits changed, though evidence of Annika’s favourite sunflower was everywhere, in people’s hair, pinned to shirts, in the pattern of a dress or a cardigan or even attached to a well loved Labrador’s collar.
It was an idyllic setting and one Annika, a nature loving environmentalist and adventure seeker would no doubtedly have loved.
A perfect tribute to a carefree spirit whose life was tragically cut short while appreciating the beauty of a sunrise at North Head.
