Dear Pete, Carmel, and Ted,

Our family will all be thinking about Sophie tomorrow, the day of her service, just as we have been for the past two weeks. 

It has taken me a while to write. A text on social media just didn’t do justice to how we feel for you and for Sophie who was taken from us way too soon. 

Just a few weeks before the news of Sophie, we heard about Roy. It was natural to celebrate his life of 97 years as full of accomplishments and memories - it was his time. As I think of Roy, it will be easy to smile.  

However, it was not Sophie’s time and it is harder to smile when we think of her ; she was taken from you and all of us far too soon. It will be too painful to think about the life experience she missed. It will be sad to think about the hole she will leave for you all. 

So what will make us smile, eventually?

My family and I only met Sophie twice. 2006 and 2017. She was so sweet, calm and warm - my girls immediately fell in love with her. She seemed to just have a way that you just felt happier when you were around her. Despite the limited time my girls spent with her I was always surprised at the emotional bond and how they thought of her so fondly. I will smile when I think about that.

From all you have shared, it is obvious Sophie was exceptionally brave in how she dealt with her disease right until the end. I will smile about the courage she showed. 

I also hope our children will learn from Sophie about how life can be wonderful yet fleeting and they should use the time they are blessed with to live positive lives, to help others, to leave the world a better place, and then pass this lesson down to their children and family. If Sophie’s memory does this, that will also be reason to smile. 

Your days ahead will no doubt be difficult. But I hope soon the times you smile will exceed those with tears when you remember Sophie. 

A lovely young woman, taken too soon, yet someone who should be an inspiration to all our lives. 

All our love to Sophie and you all. 

Paul, Linda, Nikki and Leah.