A young woman who died without warning was compared to the beautiful and fleeting light of a comet during a celebration of her life with family and friends, including British soul singer Beverley Knight.

Safiya Stewart, from St Mary’s Island, shone brightly in her 18 years, the Rev Windsor Queensborough said in an address.

He added: “Young people, old people, black people, white people – she touched everybody with her light.”

Safiya was a catering and hospitality student at MidKent College and passed away on May 23. She is believed to have suffered an epileptic seizure.

Around 350 people gathered in the St George’s Centre in Pembroke Road, Chatham on Wednesday to remember her.

One of those was Beverley Knight, 42, an old family friend who was looked after by Safiya’s mum, Carol, in her childhood.

The star performed her song, Cast All Your Cares, at the service.

Even through tears, the entire service was a celebration. There was live music from the moment Safiya’s coffin was carried into the old church.

People sang and clapped along to the performances. Safiya’s aunt, Melissa, sang Hallelujah, and Carol sang a song she had written herself, thanking Safiya for all her love.

The teenager worked three jobs on top of her studies, and two days after she passed away an offer of a fourth came through.

She also set up Young People United (YPU) to celebrate cultural diversity and promote opportunities for young people, and was a member of Love Music Hate Racism.

During her eulogy, Carol said: “How many of us can say we have achieved in our lives, what she did in just 18?

“If more people were like Safiya, the world would be a better place. Her name means honest and pure, and that’s what she was.”

Friends gathered on the stage and took turns to say a few words, though the tears often choked them.

They spoke about her numerous aspirations and drive to succeed, said she was their inspiration and was always on had to give advice, and laughed remembering mass sleep-overs with 20 people and Safiya teaching them how to bake.

She wanted to travel, friends said, and her eyes would light up with excitement when she talked about it.

Her father, Christopher, regaled the congregation with an incident on a skiing trip when Safiya was very young. She was not a natural, he said, but when the instructor said as much it pushed her to do better.

“When she finally managed to ski down the nursery slope she said to me, ‘See! I don’t like people telling me what I can’t do’.

“That was my daughter at not even four years old. If you told her she couldn’t do something, she was determined to do it.”

Films and pictures of Safiya growing up were projected on to screens, and one of her favourite songs, One Love by Bob Marley, was played as the service drew to a close and everybody stood to sing along.

A collection raised £700 for the Medway African Caribbean Association.

Safiya planned to own a restaurant one day, and was also a part of a dance troupe called Urban Steps. She was laid to rest at Woodlands Cemetery, and a reception held at the Britannia Theatre saw her dance troupe perform.

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