June 20, 2009 — Dressed in her favorite colors — turquoise and purple — hundreds showed up at Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School Saturday to pay their last respects to this year’s St. Thomas Carnival Queen, 18-year-old Karence DeCosta.
The event began with an hour-long dedication to the vibrant teen, who was killed June 8 in a car crash just hours after her high school graduation. Police have said that DeCosta may have fallen asleep at the wheel. (See: "Questions Linger About Fatal Car Crash.")Standing just a few feet away from DeCosta’s white coffin — flanked on either side by floral displays — those closest to her remembered her short but meaningful life.
A close friend recalled DeCosta as a caring confidante. The head of "Team Karence," the group of women who worked to help her win the title of carnival queen, recalled her as the glue that held them all together. Many of her former classmates at Charlotte Amalie High School were also on hand.
During the service, the Rev. Neil Scantlebury remembered DeCosta’s beautiful voice, recalling that he had heard her perform "Ave Maria" once.
"It came from a heart that knew the mother of Jesus," he said.
Inside the funeral program, DeCosta’s popularity was evident. There were tributes from Gov. John deJongh Jr., Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis, and from various lawmakers and government agencies. Photos of her sunny smile rested next to heartfelt letters from friends and family.
What was most evident at the funeral was how full of life the young woman was. In a pre-recorded eulogy, her mother remembered her as a talkative student and energetic force. She recalled that when she once asked DeCosta why she talked so much, her daughter replied, "You made me that way."
She said her daughter loved language and hoped to major in Spanish and journalism.
The eulogy ended with a few words recorded earlier from DeCosta herself, as she thanked those who helped her win her title.
Though it was a day marked by tears from young and old, the ceremony ended with a joyful noise. Musical group Julie Merrifield and Company sang a series of gospel tunes, and the mourners filed out of the auditorium.
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