The first of the three funerals was held Monday, for the victims of the Marathon bombings. Krystal Campbell was laid to rest after a private funeral mass in her hometown of Medford.
On a bright, mild morning – a morning much like Marathon Monday one week ago – friends and family gathered to pay their respects to Campbell – one of the three people killed in the explosions at the finish line.
The bells of St. Joseph’s Parish in Medford tolled as the funeral procession made its way through town. Krystal’s family entered the church flanked by uniformed police officers and followed by dozens who knew and loved the 29-year-old.
"It seemed to be the entire community around the family, surrounding them with our love and our prayers for their healing and our prayers that we’ll see Krystal again," said
Everett Spain, who attends Harvard Business School – where Krystal’s mother works. "It was wonderful. We had Cardinal O’Malley there, and numerous clergy. There was a wonderful choir that made us think of majesty and where Krystal is now. So just wonderful thoughts and memories of what a special young lady she was with a life ahead of her."
The sanctuary quickly filled to capacity keeping several mourners from attending the private mass. Across the street, members of the media from around the country and the world --assembled rows of tripods and snapped pictures. After the doors to the church closed, a small group of reporters gathered around Julia Dziamba as she recalled working with Krystal at the Summer Shack restaurant in Boston.
"She was a happy, bubbly person," Dziamba said. "Always had a smile on her face even if she was mad. She was smiling about it. Always an upbeat atmosphere when you were with her."
The crowd lining the street stayed mostly quiet for the duration of the service. A number of people told me they didn’t know Krystal; they just felt compelled to be there. High school seniors Scott Tully and his two friends said it was important to them to show their support.
"We’re all part of the same city, the same state, the same country," Tully said. "So, we felt it was the right thing to do. Skip a little bit of school and come down here and show our support."
After about an hour, the bells sounded again. The doors to the church opened and Cardinal O’Malley and other members of the clergy emerged in their white vestments. Friends and family embraced on the sidewalk, many of them crying and sharing memories of a young woman known for smiling all the time.
"Hopefully, we can take that joy and that kindness in her spirit wherever we go," Spain said.
