A COUPLE who tragically died following a road traffic collision in Crumlin radiated love for one another, mourners were told at their funeral on Wednesday.
Ralph Anthony Singco and his wife, Cathrene Kith Quiñones Singco, along with their unborn baby, Kate Singco, died as a result of the crash on January 11.
There were emotional scenes during their Requiem Mass at St Vincent De Paul Church in Ligoniel.
Fr Vincent Cushnahan described Ralph and Cathrene’s happy and fun-filled life as a couple. "Ralph, who spent 20 years in Ireland returned to his native Philippines to attend university where he met Kith and fell in love," he said. "There, he met a beautiful, dynamic fun-filled, gregarious girl whom we call Cathrene Kith Quiñones Singco.
"That love that they had together blossomed. It matured. They nurtured it together.
"Then after university, returning here to Ireland to set up their own home, filled with joy and music, with food and friends, with hard work.
"They were a couple of their generation. They used social media to express themselves
and to show others back home how they were getting on here in Ireland.
The three coffins leave the St Vincent De Paul Church in Ligoniel
"Any of you who had the opportunity to see their Facebook pages or their Instagram accounts or other socials as they are called, they were filled with fun. They were filled with laughter and joy.
"They were filled too with love for each other. They radiated love, not just for each other, but for those who were around them, a young couple, a couple in love, a couple filled with dreams and hopes, a couple making future plans as any couple anywhere in the world would.
"They were a normal couple and yet extraordinary in their love for each other.
"Kith worked in Our Lady's Care Home. Having spoken to a few colleagues of Kith, they said that she was full of fun, full of joy.
"In Ireland, we have this word called devilment. It means you had that little sense of humour, a little quirky sense of humour that they loved about her."
Fr Cushnahan then detailed how the couple, who had been trying to have a baby finally found out the happy news just seven months ago.
Mourners carrying the coffin of baby Kate
"During their time together, they tried, of course, to have a little baby. They wanted to pour out that love that they had for each other into new life.
"Over the years, they struggled to have a baby and only seven months ago, Kith discovered she was expecting.
"Can you imagine her expression, her overwhelming joy with Ralph that finally, finally, they had their little baby, seven months old, here with us in the church, so sadly taken from us.
"We are united in soul, in grief and in our devastation at the shocking sudden loss of Kith and Ralph and baby Kate."
Fr Cushnahan concluded by praising the Ligoniel community for their support shown to the Singco family.
"This profound tragedy of their passing has also brought out the best of us. It has brought out the best in this parish of Ligoniel. I'm very proud of you all.
"I am very proud of the respect and condolences you have shown, the prayers that you have offered, the solidarity that you have presented, the financial contributions you have made to the Singco family to repatriate them.
"I'm very proud of you, and you should be proud of yourselves because you have shown the world the best of us."
Speaking of the Singco family, he added: “They will return to their native land. They will rest in the soil of their own beautiful country. They will be laid to rest together as they shared each other in life with their beautiful little baby, baby Kate.”
The bodies of Ralph, Kith and baby Kate will be repatriated to their native Philippines for burial.
A Go Fund Me page for the Singco family has raised £68,020.
