A university student orphaned when his parents and brother were killed in a light aircraft crash said a final goodbye to his family at their funeral yesterday.

Sammi Booz, 20, was supported by friends and relatives at the burial of his father Sharif, mother Margaret and 14-year-old brother Ayman. The three died along with Ayman's friend Charlie Froud when their plane came down near Corriebrock Mountain in County Wicklow, Ireland, last Saturday.

They had taken off from Gloucester Airport and were travelling to visit Margaret's family in Newbridge, County Kildare.

Some 400 mourners attended the burial at Almondsbury Cemetery, near Bristol, followed by a Requiem Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church in Patchway, Bristol.

Margaret's brother Richard O'Kennedy delivered a eulogy at the Mass for the well-known, respected and loved family.

The university lecturer praised Sharif, 43, as ''the brother I never had" and read parts of the Koran to the Booz family in his honour.

He told the congregation how tough and tenacious Margaret chased away his bullies at school in Dublin.

Sharif, 43, and Margaret, in her 40s, met at a riding school where Margaret worked in Ireland.

He told people how Margaret had once saved someone's life by not allowing an injured person to be moved after they had fallen from a horse.

"Everyone else wanted to move the woman but Margaret stood her ground. In the end they found out that this woman had broken her neck," he said.

"If it hadn't been for Margaret, this woman would have spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair. But she made a full recovery and today owes her mobility to Margaret.

"That is just one of the things I will remember her for. She was tough and tenacious about all the right things."

Mr O'Kennedy described Ayman and Charlie, also 14, as the best of mates and thanked all their schoolfriends for coming to the service.

Father Eugene Campbell, who led the service, said: "I met Margaret when she came to Mass. She was a lovely person and very popular in the community. She was known to many people."

After the service, some of the family's friends paid tribute to those they had lost.

Jackie Lamb, 46, from Almondsbury, knew the family well. Her son Nikolai, 15, and Ayman were close friends.

She said: "Ayman used to come over to our house all the time. He was full of life and always energetic. He was such a joker and really made me laugh.

"I think most of us still feel a tremendous sense of shock at what's happened.

"We just can't believe it's happened. The village just doesn't feel the same without them. They used to go to Ireland all the time to see family there.

" I remember seeing Margaret just a few days before it happened and she told me she was going there for half-term. It's just such a shock. Nikolai and his friends are all very upset about it."

Jill Lawry, 50, also from Almondsbury, became friends with Margaret Booz after her 15-year-old son Max went to school with Ayman. She said: "Margaret was so involved with the school and the village. They were both very community spirited people.

"Margaret devoted a lot of her time to the parent teacher association and was always helping to raise money for various causes.

"If anything ever needed doing they were always the first to jump in and help. Sharif donated gifts for village raffles and Margaret would raise money for anything, be it a village fete or the church roof. They were larger than life, great fun and will be sorely missed by us all."

The Booz family attended both ceremonies, as did the O'Kennedy family from Newbridge, in Ireland. Heather and David Froud, Charlie's parents, also attended the memorial service at Almondsbury Cemetery. Charlie's funeral will be held on November 4.

Ten bunches of flowers were left at the cemetery. Marlwood School, which Charlie and Ayman were pupils, had left a large wreath of red roses.

A girl called Grace left a heartfelt message to Ayman with a bunch of roses.

The card read: ''Well, what can I say, you were my little gangster! Going around Almondsbury or just getting on the bus will never be the same again without you.

"Especially the bus, without having your loud music playing at the back. The memories will stay in my mind for ever. Sleep tight darling and until we meet again, all my love."

Another card to all the family read: "It was a privilege to have known you all."

Members of the Booz family, who lived in Almondsbury, declined to comment.