Millions of people were moved and inspired by AGT's Jane "Nightbirde" Marczewski, the physically fragile singer with an incredible inner strength and gorgeous voice. So it wasn't surprising that hundreds of people turned up to pay their respects to Marczewski, who died of cancer last month.
As was fitting for the faith-filled singer, she was laid to rest in a manner that celebrated her life as well as her deep devotion to God.
"We wanted to do it in the church where she spent a lot of time when she was here," explained her brother Mitch, who was involved in the organization of the funeral, to USA Today.
Those who participated in the celebration of Marczewski's life were greeted with large photos of the star with a "million dollar smile," as her father said. They also had the opportunity to read the singer's poem "A Hero in Flames," which we previously wrote about, in the program:
I would like to die like Joan of Arc With dignity and urgency and stubbornness A watercolor portrait in the night A sight to behold, a hero in flames.
Pastor Todd Garman also reflected on the impact of Nightbirde's short life, saying:
“If … our admiration for Jane stops at Jane, we'll be missing something very major, because Jane was a reflection of the Jesus that she loved. The reason she was so magnetic, magnanimous, others-centered, servant hearted, intentional, was because she was imitating — imperfectly — the Jesus of the Scriptures.”
While her best friend, Abby Hernandez, reminisced about how Marczewski was "magnetic, vibrant, selfless, and the most profound friend of my life," her brother Mitch spoke of her generous spirit: "Jane was consistently giving and she was consistently looking for ways to bless other people."
Her friend Celeste Kuriokos spoke of how Nightbirde found the strength to carry on through her battle with cancer, despite the pain and uncertainty:
"Jesus is why she believed a painfully tragic life could still be worth living — that life could be beautiful even when the world came crashing down."
And it is perhaps this firm belief that has inspired so many to cope with life's difficulties in the way Marczewski did, with her contagious smile and voice of an angel.
