They say a funeral should be a celebration of life.
As if embracing that concept, many of those who packed the Western Light Nazarene Church in Oxnards, St James yesterday to say goodbye to Sherese and Keon Alleyne and Nikira Harewood, who lost their lives in a road accident last December 23, were certainly dressed the part.
Moving away from the traditional sombre “funeral colours” and conservative styles, there were splashes of red, purple and pink as several of the young women spiced up their outfits to pay respects to the two teenagers and toddler from the same family.
The aunt and niece, whom people felt were taken too soon, were attired in dark pink/purple with matching make-up as they lay peacefully in their caskets at the foot of the church, where relatives and friends got one last look at them.
Baby Keon was also smartly dressed in a white suit, with his hair braided, as he lay on his mother’s chest. The youngsters were eulogized by John Kellman. Fifteen-month-old Keon was said to be grandmother Sheryl’s “heart”.
Kellman said he was the “star of Bethlehem” whose light spread to every crevice and dispelled the darkness.
Nikira, aka Dixie, was the prankster who provided lots of fun for the family. Sherese, or “Baby Girl”, was always careful about her dress, manners and deportment.
Though noting the passing of the three was a great loss to the entire family, Kellman said he believed they had gone home to the place where God had prepared for them.
Pastor David Babb encouraged mourners with the knowledge that God dealt with troubled hearts. He urged them to remain focused, as Job was. Babb said while all the tears could not bring their three loved ones back, there was hope in Jesus.
“All is not lost,” Babb said.
The minister also sought to impress upon his congregation the need to appreciate each other. “We must share our flowers while we are alive. We must appreciate one another, because we do not know who [is] next,” Babb stated.
The bodies were interred next to each other in the St James Cemetery. Nikira is lying with her father Marlo, who died when she was just two years old. He died in a traffic accident as well.
