Katya Watson: Funeral hears how student 'was just full of the joys of life'

The 22-year-old died in hospital after being involved in a three-vehicle road traffic collision outside Ballymena on 8 December.

Speaking during 10am Requiem Mass in St John’s Church in Coleraine, Rev Fr Neil Farren told a packed church that “Katya has gone ahead to be what she was created to be, a child of God”.

He added that during Katya’s days in hospital it was “lovely that her sisters returned from Australia and England as Katya would want you there as a family”.

The Parish Priest said that “death is the only part of life that is certain and no-one knows the day or the hour” but “it is much more difficult when talking about a young 22-year-old”.

He added that Katya’s parents found it “comforting seeing friends of Katya and her sisters attend her wake” and their attendance “will always be remembered and treasured”.

The cleric said: “Katya was a student and was to become a nursery school teacher.”

He added that by her nature, Katya had “a child-like manner and would have put children at their ease”.

"But she had many other talents, her artistic beautician work over the Covid lockdown, or an interior designer from how her bedroom was laid out”.

He added that Katya had been uplifting for Tesco customers during her Saturday shifts where she “was dancing at the tills and was just full of the joys of life”.

Addressing the Watson family, the cleric added that it was obvious from the family portraits that “they did everything together as a family”, adding that now “Katya has run ahead of you over the brow of the hill”.

He said that on the day Katya’s remains were brought home her parents “saw a flock of wild geese in the distance which is strange in December”.

“In old Celtic pictures the Holy spirit is seen like wild geese,” he added, which moves “in an unexpected fashion”.

"We ask the Holy Spirit to come now and give the family the support they need”.

Katya was buried in the adjoining graveyard.

She is being very deeply mourned by her loving parents Eamon and Angelique, her sisters Gabriella, Francesca, Aurora and twin sister Lucia.

Katya is also deeply missed by her grandparents Jeff and Sadie Watson (Slaughtmanus) and Lorenzo Nargi (London).