Heaven gained an angel. That was the consensus at a memorial service Friday morning.
UF students and faculty celebrated the life and loss of UF sophomore Kayla McAleer.
The Baughman Center by Lake Alice became a place for goodbyes, Kleenexes and hugs for about 100 people during the memorial service.
"There must be borrowed angels, here in this life," the service program read. "They come along, into this world, and make this world bright. But they can’t stay forever ‘cause they’re heaven sent. And sometimes, heaven needs them back again."
Throughout the memorial, Father David Ruchinski of the St. Augustine Church and McAleer’s father called the 19-year-old an angel.
The UF occupational therapy student passed away Sept. 11 from complications related to a rare congenital heart defect.
McAleer’s father, Matthew McAleer, said she had multiple heart surgeries, the first when she was just 3 days old.
Despite health issues, McAleer devoted her life to helping others, he said.
People knew Kayla McAleer was sympathetic and would listen, said Jacqueline Guthart, a friend of Kayla McAleer’s since their freshman year Fall semester.
Her favorite memory was when she turned around to see her friend in a group hug with two humongous strangers.
"I’m not really sure how or why they were in a group hug, and she didn’t really know either, but we laughed on the way home," Guthart said, laughing.
Guthart spoke about her memories with her, occasionally pausing to hold back tears.
"When I see chocolate, I think about the time when we went to a drugstore to get gum but came out spending $16 on Kinder Eggs and Cadbury chocolate," the 19-year-old UF finance sophomore said. "Everywhere I go, I’m constantly reminded."
Before the service, UF President Kent Fuchs went up to the family to shake their hands and offer condolences.
He spoke at the memorial to the McAleer family and UF students.
"I know she was a wonderful person," Fuchs said. "We can still celebrate her life."
Her father said Kayla was nervous before her first week at UF but quickly found her place.
"One day I called her and she said, ‘Daddy, you’re not going to believe it — I have a crew,’" Matthew McAleer said, laughing.
UF is currently in the process of awarding Kayla McAleer an in-memoriam degree from the College of Public Health and Health Professions, said Jen Day Shaw, the associate vice president and dean of students.
A fund created on YouCaring to help Kayla McAleer’s parents has raised more than $7,500 as of press time.
Matthew McAleer said he was thankful for the support of the university and friends.
"The void of missing Kayla will never be filled," he said.
Contact Caitlin Ostroff at costroff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ceostroff
Kayla McAleer, a former UF sophomore, does the Gator Chomp on Nov. 4, 2014. The 19-year-old passed away on Sept. 11, 2015, due to complications related to a rare congenital heart defect.
