Chloe Samantha Longster 

(Chlo, Chlobo, Chlolala, Coco, Chlobosaurus, Veggie)

To capture Chloe's essence accurately, we gathered anecdotes and sentiments from her loved ones, ensuring her memory was honoured, emphasising her ever-cheerful, effervescent demeanour that never failed to uplift those around her.

Chloe was sunshine, she brought warmth, light into life, and brightened any mood. There aren’t words that can convey or articulate just how alive Chloe was, without words jumping and dancing in vibrant colours. Chloe would have done a better job with her budding and beautiful command of language. 

Chloe's arrival on 22nd June 2009, brought an abundance of joy, love and hope, little sister to Thomas, as he would keenly introduce her. Something Chloe reciprocated, proudly introducing her big brother when at secondary school. Best friends with her cousin, Meli, being the same age they reached milestones, shared holidays and activities together. You see, Chloe was born to a family that loved her so very deeply from before she was even born, she radiated this love and joy of her existence back out into the world with such gentle but indiscriminate force. We grew, learned, and loved as a family. Fondly nicknamed "little veggie" by her adult cousin. Chloe was the kind of child who made others long to be a parent. The happiest and easiest of children, she had a wonderful childhood, full of love and experiences. 

Chloe was the kind of girl that sings and dances in the living room, laughs so hard she would fall from her chair, and jump fully clothed into the paddling pool. Everything was an event, a reason to celebrate, a time to be together, her very existence was hope for the future she will now never have. She was the very definition and spark of seasonal joy, the crunch of footsteps and sound of laughter in freshly fallen snow, the first flower pushing up with the sunlight flickering through the trees in spring, the sound of splashing in the paddling pool, the lighting the BBQ on a summer's day, the snuggle of a blanket when the weather starts to cool, the warm orange glow at the pumpkin patch, the first few bars of your favourite Christmas song. She was all those little moments of joy, loud but not intrusive, the gentle reminders that life is worth living, a life that she no longer gets to enjoy with her loved ones. 

Her favourite subject was English, she showed incredible talent for creative writing. She loved reading books from an early age, she scoured through boxes at carboot sales and in charity shops, such joy in finding “treasures!!” Designing magical worlds in Minecraft and Sims. Team Captain in Year 6,  a shining example to others, with a heart of gold, the biggest grin, the longest hair and the longest legs. She exuded a sense of fun, excitedly anticipating every special occasion, whether Christmas, her birthday, holidays, Halloween, bonfire night, sleepovers, or shopping trips. Her excitement for life was contagious, especially when it came to celebrating with her loved ones. Living with gleeful abandon, her laughter filled the air, pure, unadulterated joy. Chloe loved baking, drawing, writing, creating, a ‘slime making’ extraordinaire, a tiktoking, twirling tornado! Chloe found humour in everything, while watching a world cup match at the football club, she mistakenly cheered the opposing team scoring!  Most young teens would recoil in embarrassment, Chloe found this utterly hilarious, unapologetically self assured and carefree. She’d share embarrassing stories about her mum, laughing so hard that she could barely get her words out. Always bursting to talk, with a massive collection of dolls - all sat down like at school as she read to them.  She would make Christmas lists at the childminders and take them home in September. As she grew older, Christmas lists became PowerPoint presentations. Her last one was presented (and emailed!) to Mum and Dad on 19th November the concluding slide, she wrote, "I will be very grateful for everything I get - thank you :)". 

From a young age, Chloe had been a dedicated dancer, practising handstands against the living room wall,  perfecting the splits, mastering high kicks and front flips. Performing in shows, as the curtains closed on one, she eagerly anticipated the next one. Their dance troupe were awarded as the ‘kindest’ at a fierce dance competition, a testament to the wonderful individuals Chloe chose to surround herself with. She took part in a dance-a-thon, Chloe and her troupe stayed awake, danced, and played for an incredible 25 hours! They continue this annually, now to raise money for the Sepsis trust, lovingly referred to as ‘Chloe’s Charity ’. She loved animals and kept many pets, including rabbits, cats, gerbils, rats and dogs and  rescued a lot of wildlife. Chloe would give cute names to the animals, like "honeycomb hog" for a baby hedgehog discovered in the depths of winter. A proud vegetarian for 2 years, while on a holiday in Santorini, she became vocal when witnessing animal exploitation, concerned she might upset the locals, we shushed her. But we admired her spirit for standing up against cruelty. 

Showing such care and consideration for others, proud of her role as ‘reception helper’ at break times in primary school. Chloe thought nothing of offering to buy a homeless person a drink or food, she likely considered this a normal response when someone was in need, she wouldn’t have considered this to be heroic or deserving of praise. When her grandmother fell ill,  Chloe would check she had a drink, sweep her Grandma’s hair from her eyes and would thoroughly enjoy and encourage Grandma’s mischievous (albeit harmless) ways. Chloe had immense potential for a joyful and fulfilling life. She thrived in the company of others, revelling in social interactions. She could always find fun and joy in the ordinary moments of daily life, inviting everyone she loved to experience it with her. Her beloved little Rudy, aged just 3 when Chloe died  said, "I miss Chloe so much. I hate that she died, she was my best friend, I loved her, she made everything fun for me." 

With her magnetic personality, making friends was easy and keeping friends, even easier. Ever kind Chloe, welcomed a new student in secondary school who spoke little English. Chloe was inclusive, others feeling happy mattered, she viewed the world through a lens of kindness; if only the world could have been kinder back. Chloe's close friends have shared many cherished memories of her. Losing her has caused the "most pain ever felt" they feel beyond grateful to have ever met her. During Chloe's funeral, Chloe's friends expressed heartfelt laughter and floods of tears as they heard stories about Chloe. Chloe was the embodiment of kindness and was a champion of all things good. Her school has installed a special bench covered in inscriptions to honour Chloe, a place for her friends to sit and remember.

Reflecting on Chloe's tremendous loss is devastating. She won't sit for exams, learn to drive, travel with friends, attend concerts, walk down the aisle, or experience the joys of motherhood. Her whole future abruptly extinguished, not only has she lost her future, but a butterfly effect of joy that could have been and isn't, is rippling across time now and forever. We haven't just lost Chloe; the world has lost her too, her impact was sure to be meaningful and wondrous. An easygoing and gentle soul, a friend to everyone, believing in the inherent goodness of people and their deserving of kindness. If only, in her time of need, she was shown the same compassion. We entrusted them with our most precious and remarkable daughter; she truly was the best of us. 

Chloe's vibrant, joyful, and kindhearted nature will be her enduring legacy. Her radiant spirit and zest for life defined her, and she deserves to be remembered for the colourful story of her life, rather than its conclusion. Chloe was an exceptional human being, radiating beauty and goodness. Her remarkable ability to bring immense joy and create unforgettable moments are precious, sacred and we will forever hold in our hearts.