“Joyful” Tyrese Bechard farewelled in first funeral for five teen crash victims
<p dir="ltr">One of the teens killed in the devastating Buxton crash has been remembered as having a “heart of gold” after he was farewelled at an emotional service on Thursday.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Tyrese Bechard was 16 when he and four other teens were killed in a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/five-teenagers-killed-in-devastating-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horrific crash in southwest Sydney</a> on September 6.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mr Bechard’s funeral was the first of five ceremonies for the victims who all attended the same high school in Picton.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Hundreds gathered at HisHouse Church in Picton on Thursday, with Coldplay’s Fix You being heard playing above the quiet sobs of loved ones before the service began.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His coffin was brought into the church to the song Forever Young.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Family and friends spoke fondly of Mr Bechard, remembering his zest for life and boundless kindness.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a touching memorial slideshow, dozens of photos showed the teen having fun on bikes, riding on a motorbike with his uncle, and enjoying life with family and friends.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Tyrese was a young man with a heart of gold,” the slideshow read.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“He was always kind and respectful to everyone around him.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“His joyful character will be missed dearly by everyone he met.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">His aunt Rebecca gave an emotional tribute to her nephew, describing him as a “selfless” and “fearless” boy who was taken too soon.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Our beautiful boy, you were taken too soon,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“For everyone who knew him, he was a caring, kind, respectful and fearless young man.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“He was a cheeky kid growing up. Fast forward a few years, he grew into a respectful young man.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Reecy was so selfless and put others before himself. He always said hello and gave you a big hug.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I‘m going to miss looking over the dinner table and watching your reaction to things you didn’t agree with.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Reecy, we miss you. We miss your laugh, your cheeky smile and courageous energy. Fly high my beautiful boy.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">His cousin Marcus described him as a “second brother” who will never be forgotten.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Whenever we had a family gathering, I would look forward to seeing him,” Marcus said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I’ll never forget what he’s done for my family and me.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mr Bechard’s grandparents, who raised the teen, were both visibly distraught during the service, with his grandfather tearily hugging friends.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His coffin was carried out to the hearse by six men, with Adele’s Easy On Me playing through the church.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The song marked an emotional farewell to Mr Bechard, who loved new music and always shared new finds with family and friends.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Outside the church, around 250 people gathered to form a guard of honour for the hearse.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Students at Picton High had been given the day off school and were seen hugging each other while waiting on the other side of the road for Mr Bechard’s family to be driven away.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At the cemetery in the nearby town of Thirlmere, teens carrying orange, white and black balloons followed the procession to the teen’s final resting place.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His coffin was piled high with an arrangement of red and white flowers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After mourners paid their final tributes to the teen, which included the playing of club music that represented his love of dance music and enthusiasm for life, students released more than 20 balloons into the sky above his grave.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The families of the other children who were killed also attended the service, as those who knew the teens are due to repeat the grief-filled process over and over in the coming days.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The teens reportedly told their parents they were just going on a “maccas run” that night, but instead drove around for hours. </p>
<p dir="ltr">When they didn’t return home, alarm bells were raised.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Melissa Davis, a local resident of Wollondilly, set up a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-families-of-the-buxton-teens?qid=55a7852ebc9297fab848492de8753392" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe page</a> to raise funds for the five families with the help of Wollondilly town Mayor Matt Gould.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In just six days, donations totalling $17,570 have flooded in for the families.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 7news.com.au</em></p>
