Candles have been lit and tributes have poured in to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Perth’s Rebecca Sivyer.
Rebecca died after a vehicle crash on the A94 between Coupar Angus and Forfar, near Ardler, on August 22 2021.
As a 23-year-old mother, Rebecca’s tragic death continues to cast a shadow over the many who loved and cared for her, and still miss her deeply.
Today her family laid flowers at the crash scene and visited her grave at Perth Crematorium.
Her mother Wendy Ghekis also lit candles at 6.02pm, exactly 12 months since her eldest daughter was pronounced dead.
Wendy’s Facebook page was additionally flooded with memories from well-wishers who shared their affection for Rebecca.
Many changed their profile picture with their favourite photo of her.
In this feature Rebecca’s family and friends pay tribute to a woman whose “smile lit up the room”.
It is in the following sections:
- Childhood, school and jobs
- Lifelong friend
- Sister memories
- Online tributes
Childhood, school and jobs
Rebecca Sivyer spent her first five years in Kennington, south London.
Her parents, Robert and Wendy, then moved to Perth. Rebecca was a P1 pupil at Craigie, then went to Dunning for the next two years before completing her primary education at Balhousie.
After attending Perth Grammar School she worked at SSE (latterly OVO Energy) for three years. Rebecca passed away on the Sunday, three days before she was due to leave the company ahead of starting a new job at Aviva the following week.
Along with having daughter Millie, who turned nine in June, she was an older sister to Alexandra, 22, and Scarlett, 12.
Lifelong pal
Lewis Phillips still treasures the scarf given to him by Rebecca.
It is a memento of a close friendship that began when they were toddlers in Kennington and endured right up until Rebecca’s untimely death.
Lewis remembers the playfights and popping across the road to hang out with his best pal.
He also remembers how they kept in touch every single day when Rebecca moved to Perth in the early years of primary school.
“It is rare, when you are young as well, to keep in contact,” Lewis says. “When I was young we didn’t have a phone as well.
“We kept in contact every day.”
A ‘once in a lifetime’ friendship
Such remarkable dedication – before smartphones and social media – was soon unnecessary when Lewis actually moved to Scotland himself.
He came to the local area with his mother when he was nine years old and they even attended Balhousie Primary School together.
Lewis’ stint north of the border lasted just two years but by then their lifelong friendship had been well and truly cemented.
“I would always come to see her once a year, we would go somewhere like Loch Ness,” he recalls.
“She used to come to London once in a awhile and stay in my house. We would go to the London Eye and other places in the city. I was always happy to see her and very excited.
“It’s like once in a lifetime to have a friendship like that. You just don’t get that special bond, especially with a girl. It’s very rare.”
‘I see them as family rather than friends’
The last time Lewis saw Rebecca was in February 2020, when they enjoyed a pre-lockdown night out at Manhattan’s in Perth.
Their final conversation took place one week before Rebecca died.
“I still remember the day it happened,” Lewis says. “My mum called me and said she was in an accident and had died.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was so shocked and didn’t know what to say. I was crying for ages. I was upset for weeks.”
Some might say that blood is thicker than water but this is not the case regarding Lewis and Rebecca’s surviving relatives.
He is particularly grateful of the support provided by Wendy, a mental health support practitioner at Richmond Fellowship Scotland.
Lewis says: “Even though I am not family I feel part of the family.
“Wendy would let me stay for as long as I wanted to and has always been there for me and made feel welcome.
“She even told me that just because Rebecca is no longer here it doesn’t mean I can’t go up there anymore. I see them as family rather than friends.”
Sister memories
Aged 10, Rebecca moved with her family to Greece for a brief spell, which jogs some amusing memories for her sister Alexandra Sivyer.
“We made sisterhood mix-up songs,” recalls Alexandra. “These were different parts of different songs mixed together that we used to sing all the time, even up until a month before she passed away.
“I remember her being so kind and funny. She always made me laugh. She was my best friend and always gave me the best advice, for example going on dates.
“What made her funny was her whole demeanour, her one-liners. She was very laid back and just saw the best in people and best in life. She was just a really positive girl.”
Scarlett, Rebecca’s youngest sister, remembers holding on to her hand on funfair rides when she was younger.
“I always saw her as a role model,” she says. “She was someone I could always talk to and who never did anything bad.
“She used to tell me how to get a boyfriend, makeup and things like that.”
Online tributes
Rebecca’s many friends have paid heartfelt tribute on the one-year anniversary of her death.
Here are some of those posted on Wendy’s Facebook page:
Cheryl Liddle: “She may not be here anymore but I don’t think she’ll be ever forgotten. When I think of Rebecca I see the big smile she had. You couldn’t be down around that smile.”
Caitlin Buchan: “One whole year without you Rebecca and it still hurts like it was just yesterday you were taken from us. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about you. I will never forget you Rebecca. That beautiful smile and goofy laugh. Life will never be the same without you here. I love you.”
Jodi Aaliyah Neil: “Your smile lit up the room and you was undeniably beautiful; you didn’t deserve to leave us so soon but god takes the best ones first.”
Conversation