CLOVERDALE — Much loved, greatly missed, remembered always.
The 1,095-seat Cloverdale Baptist Church was filled to capacity Wednesday afternoon as mourners celebrated the life of Travis Malcolm Selje, who was by all accounts a wonderful 17-year-old boy.
A traffic crash May 3rd at 64th Avenue and 176th Street claimed the life of the Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary student. The Honda Prelude he was driving was hit by a cadillac driven by a 22-year-old woman. A boy who was riding with Travis was injured, police said.
Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann said police are “looking strongly” at impaired driving and speeding as being factors in the crash that took Travis’s life but no charges have been laid.
READ ALSO: Surrey teen killed in Cloverdale crash remembered as amazing athlete and student
A bagpiper piped in the mourners, who heard testimonials from the gifted soccer player’s teammates, who presented a jersey to Travis’s family, in his memory.
Pastor Rob Godard said it was a time of sorrow and grief, but also a time to celebrate a life that was well lived.
“If you knew Travis, you would know he was amazing,” Godard said.
Teammate Trevor Schneider said he considered Travis to be his brother. He said the teen never uttered a negative word about anyone and “had a deep respect for others.”
In school he was a stellar student who “surpassed every expectation, no matter what class,” Schneider said, adding he was “so full of life and happiness.
“Rain or shine, he would always bring out a smile,” he said. “In class he would bring energy and life with his contagious laugh.”
Travis’s older sister said he was a “shining light whose brightness ended far too soon.
“Of course he thought he had all the time in the world to make his dreams happen,” she said. “His time was stolen. If only he had more time.”
The teen was described as polite, humble, hardworking and respectful.
Mourners saw a slide show covering special moments in Travis’s young life. It ended, hauntingly, with his final instagram post, showing him standing in silhouette on a beach in Mexico, with palm trees and a turquoise ocean in the background.
He was referring to his trip, his sister said. His message was “I’m here for a good time, not a long time.”
With files from Amy Reid