“I’ve been senior pastor for 13 years and I’ve never had problems with seating in our congregation.”

Senior pastor David Ritcey began with that observation Wednesday afternoon, looking out at an overflow crowd inside First Baptist Church in Toccoa.

Family and friends of Chandler LeCroy, members of the University of Georgia football community and so many others gathered to remember the 24-year-old recruiting staffer.

“It’s obvious…today with this turnout, the show of love,” said Ritcey.

LeCroy was killed in a single-vehicle accident early Sunday morning in Athens. She was driving the SUV that ran off a road and into an apartment building. UGA football player Devin Willock was also killed. Fellow player Warren McClendon and another recruiting staffer, Tory Bowles, were both injured.

Inside First Baptist Wednesday, there was a lot of red and black worn by mourners. Red and white roses adorned LeCroy’s casket.

Everyone who spoke at the service had the same description of LeCroy – someone who would help anyone, anytime. A person who would light up a room.

“We hope she could look around this church today and just see how many lives she touched and the impact she made on this Earth,” said Associate Director of Recruiting Operations Angela Kirkpatrick.

“She was the life of the party. And at the same time in an instant, she could focus her attention on you, and it was instantly like you were the most important person in the world to her,” said associate pastor Brett Sanders.

Pastor Ritcey recounted a visit he had later Sunday with LeCroy’s grandmother, who had one word to describe her granddaughter. “The word she used…was beautiful. My beautiful Chandler. My beautiful Chandler.”

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