Murdered three-year-old Sophia Rose remembered as ‘cheeky, beautiful’ at heart-wrenching memorial service

A “cheeky and beautiful” girl whose mother stabbed her to death on the front lawn of their home has been farewelled at a heart-wrenching memorial just two days before her fourth birthday.

Family and friends of murdered three-year-old Sophia Rose farewelled their ‘cheeky, beautiful’ little girl at a memorial service on Saturday. Picture: David Crosling

A “cheeky and beautiful” girl whose mother stabbed her to death on the front lawn of their home has been farewelled just two days before her fourth birthday.

Three-year-old Sophia Rose died after her mother, 32-year-old Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, attacked the young girl at their Moore Park Beach home, near Bundaberg in Queensland, on May 26.

Sophia Rose was remembered as “cheeky and beautiful” during a heartfelt farewell.

Charged with her daughter’ murder, Ms Flanigan died in hospital after she was discovered unresponsive in her high-risk cell inside the Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre on May 30.

Dozens of Sophia’s loved ones gathered in Eynesbury, west of Melbourne, on Saturday, where her father Jai Ruane and her younger siblings Royce and Eva had relocated after her death.

Too emotional to speak, Mr Ruane carried Sophia’s ashes through a guard of honour formed by loved ones, who later applauded the father as he cradled his two young children.

Sophia’s father Jai Ruane carries her ashes into the service. Picture: David Crosling

Family and friends paid tribute to Sophia Rose just days before she would have turned four. Picture: David Crosling

In the lead-up to the service, Mr Ruane told this masthead the family should have been planning Sophia’s birthday celebrations.

“Instead of celebrating Sophia’s fourth birthday, we’re having a funeral,” he said.

“A funeral that shouldn’t be happening, as there is supposed to be systems in place to protect children but that clearly failed.”

Mr Ruane spoke of the last time he saw his daughter, two weeks before she died, as he prepared to fly interstate for work.

“The family went to the local zoo. We all went there as a family, I was just holding her hand, holding Royce’s hand and all the rest,” he said.

Sophia’s mother Lauren Flanigan stabbed her to death in May. Picture: David Crosling

Pictures of Sophia Rose on display at the service. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Ruane said Sophia was an energetic girl who often woke in the early hours of the morning smiling and laughing.

“She was just a real girly girl, strong character for her age too, was a real social butterfly and she was at that age, three and a half, she was very curious so you could have good conversations with her and she’d sort of be asking a lot of things.”

“She would say “wake up daddy” and I’d be like “I’m up” and then she’d run out laughing again and she’d be in the lounge room, real happy.”

Sophia’s ashes on display at the memorial service on Saturday. Picture: David Crosling

Mourners gathered pink flowers in memory of their beloved Sophia. Picture: David Crosling

Sophia’s loved ones shared memories about the ‘happy and smiling girl’. Picture: David Crosling

On Saturday afternoon, mourners placed pink flowers in vases alongside pictures of a smiling Sophia at the heart-wrenching service, where popular children’s entertainer Emma Memma sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in a video tribute to the young girl.

Tables and walls were draped in Sophia’s favourite colour, pink, while her loved ones could be seen wearing touches of pink.

Children’s entertainer Emma Watkins shared a touching video tribute for the service. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Ruane and his family wiped away tears as Sophia’s uncle, aunty and close family friends shared stories about the “happy and smiling girl”.

“She had this beautiful glow about her and always had a smile on her face,” Sophia’s uncle said.

Reading a heartfelt poem to mourners, he said: “Each day since we first lost you, life is not the same. Each day we search for reasons, each day we call your name”.

Fighting back tears as rain poured outside, Sophia’s aunt Paige Ruane said: “Our beautiful girl Sophia is everywhere — she’s in the pink sunrise in the morning and the blue in the sunset”.

“She is the waves that crash against the shore of the ocean. She is the drops of rain that fall from the sky,” she said.

Little reference was made to Ms Flanigan during Sophia’s memorial service.

Ms Flanigan was due to face court over Sophia’s murder this month.

She had become heavily involved in recent months with the Alive Church in Bundaberg.

The Moore Park Beach community held a vigil for Sophia in the wake of her death, while community advocates said her mother had been vulnerable and in need of care before the pair’s deaths.