Farewell to shining light Josie

It was fitting that her many friends were sporting bright colours, for Josie King lit up many lives.

Hundreds packed out St Mary and St Peter’s Church to say a final farewell to the battling 15-year-old.

We have followed Josie’s fight against the devastating cancer Ewing’s sarcoma. She was pictured many times in her boxing gear and it was apt metaphor for her fighting spirit.

Josie loved the sport of boxing and the sport was swift to repay that love.

She met heavyweight hero Anthony Joshua and watched David Haye and Tony Bellew slug it out in the ring, thanks to her brother Jack who gave her a ticket he had won.

Sunderland Olympic boxer Josh Kelly gave her his competition vest from the Rio Games and Houghton Boxing Club and Lambton Street Boxing club led the tributes to the teen. Josie, of course, was just as generous. Despite fighting illness, she continued to give as much as she could back to others.

She wrote her own blog on her battle with cancer, giving hope and inspiration to many facing adversity. We rewarded her with a Child of Courage award but she was giving to the last. Even at her funeral, all donations were to go to the young people’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

The congregation even heard how Josie had insisted on being taken to buy gifts for her mum, Donna Doneathy, for Mother’s Day, because she wanted her to have something special in case she wasn’t here next Mother’s Day.

The Reverend Katherine Bagnall paid tribute to the youngster saying: “If we were all a bit more like Josie the world would be a better place.”

Too true. Josie King, a bright light that will never go out.