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Memorial Tributes by friends and colleagues:
I wish the whole world could have met N’Ndeaye, we’d all
have so much more to smile about. N’Deaye’s life touched mine so briefly, but I loved the human
being that she was instantly and thought: “ I am going to know this
person in my life for a long time…” I was wrong. But the effect
of knowing her will last forever. I want to thank N’Deaye’s mother Christina for being so welcoming
to me at N’Deaye’s funeral and for so bravely sharing with
us her pain and helping us to come to terms with the sadness of it all.
Seeing Christina’s wonderful smiling face brought back very happy
memories of the time I was lucky enough to spend with N’Deaye. She
was such an old soul. I have never met anyone so full of warmth and joy.
N’Deaye was unique, admired and loved by everyone that came into
contact with her. There was never a hint that she was in any way unwell
when we were working. On the contrary, she lit up the set with her talent
and glowing personality. She will always be missed but she is always with
us. N’Deaye will be missed by everyone that knew her. She was not only
very beautiful, but a really talented and a very professional actress.
I remember one day when N’Deaye took my hand and looked me into
my eyes and said: “The way you play this character….I trust
him with my life!” She was beautiful and looked further than your
eyes – she looked into your soul and I really think she was truly
the only spiritual person I have ever met. When the Reverent at the funeral
said perhaps she was our link with God, I really think that made sense.
I have never witnessed such an outpouring of emotions as at her funeral,
from her portrait on the coffin to Christina’s explanation of her
illness. The tributes and the gathering of such a cross-section of people
was a testament to a truly remarkable young lady. I suspect, however,
her spirituality was so strong that she is able to keep in touch. Christina’s
life is so enriched with her legacy, so for that I congratulate her. I had no idea how serious her illness was – but, in brief, she
was a beautiful human being, a hugely talented actress and most importantly
a daughter for Christina. With the greatest respect. I know N’Deaye for such a short time, worked with her on The Brief
but her friendship was immediate and very special. I can honestly say
she was a unique, beautiful and wonderful lady. I will miss her but know
that the things she taught us through example and love of life, people
and art will stay with us forever. N’Deaye leaves us feeling so very empty as she was a sparkle. A
very special spirit and a very, very dear friend. I miss her so much.
I wish we could have hugged before she left. This pain is unfair and hard.
I am so sad that our sparkle is not here anymore. She was a flower, always giving. A sweet loving tenderness that always
shone through the most dramatic challenges. Not often in life do you meet
people like N’Deaye – Forever a shining light in all our lives.
I had the delight of casting N’Deaye in Jericho. We are shocked
and sad to hear of her death. As an actress I knew her to be uniquely
brave and a beautiful performer – full of pride and integrity and
sunshine. The role we cast her in could have been written for her –
she really understood and owned it. There was only one N’Deaye, I shall never forget her. What a vibrant, energetic and sparkling person she was! She had an Angelique
aura and presence, which I am convinced, lives on. At her funeral a ladybird
landed on me. She didn’t fly away. Instead she walked over each
of my fingers, from one hand to the other. She broke through the atmosphere
just as I know N’Deaye would have been with everyone. I left the
chapel, I queued up to write in the memorial book, I hug you and wonder
around the garden and the ladybird was still with me. I wouldn’t
let anyone brush her off, I placed her on Peter, and we headed to Westbourne
Grove where friends and family paid their respects. We squeezed through
the crown to say goodbye to you and then left. The ladybird was still
there – present throughout. That beautiful perfect little insect
gave me an over whelming feeling that all is well. I think it was N’Deaye
who wanted to tell us something. Maybe? We placed the ladybird on a rose
and left saddened but optimistic. N’Deaye
was a beautiful human who brought so much light and laughter to all she
knew. I will miss her lovely spirit – but remember her laughter
and joy most of all. What a lovely memory to leave behind. Let us always
celebrate her positive spirit. I am deeply shocked
and saddened to loose such a wonderful kind loving friend. She had so
many qualities and it makes me very angry that we would be denied these.
A young woman on the threshold of her life. It cannot be right she is
no longer here. She was so loyal and supportive. N’Deaye will never
be forgotten or very far from my loving thoughts. N’Deaye made
a situation that could have been awkward very positive. She made a huge
impact on me. She was truly one of the most beautiful people I have ever
met in every sense. Her goodness and light shone and her laugh is unforgettable.
I hope that now and in years to come her mother can take some comfort
in knowing that she created an incredible, rare and special person who
touched the lives of others with her purity and spirit. We will never
forget her. N’Deaye was
a very special girl, she spread warmth and happiness everywhere she went
and radiated the kind of goodness and love only really good people can.
N’Deaye always
made me feel like a “golden” person – beautiful and
special. I loved the way she was, so tactile and loving. When I met her
in town she made me within minutes feel wonderful about myself. You couldn’t
help but feel great to be loved by someone so special as she was. I was
also jealous of her close relationship to her mother, of her looks and
positivity, of her courage to take risks and really live life. But in
her presence that jealousy would dissolve and I’d feel happy to
knew someone so lovely. N’Deaye was
full of joy and had purity of mind you don’t often find these days.
N’Deaye was
such a shining light, so genuine and true and spoke from the heart as
so few people do today. I loved spending time with her and found her positive
energy contagious as I always left her feeling enlivened and inspired.
It amazed me what positivity and love she had to give, in her lively upbeat
manner, in a time when she had so many complications of her own. Her bravery
and courage are an example to all of us. She could always see the funny
side of life and when we laughed, we really laughed. She had an old soul
and was so easy to talk to. She will always hold a special place in my
heart and be an inspiration to me for the rest of my days. I feel a tremendous
gap in my life. I was originally
introduced to N’Deaye by a doctor here at the Lupus Unit and
we hit it off immediately. As we both had Lupus we often talked
about how it affected us. She said I was hilarious and I knew I
could always cheer her up when we were together, even if only briefly.
I loved to make her laugh and when she did she really roared with
laughter. I have never seen a lovelier smile than hers. I didn’t
have that laughter in my life anywhere near long enough. She is
much missed. The hardest thing I had to do was to delete her number
from my mobile phone. I'm not ashamed to admit I cried when I did
and said a last goodbye. How flipping lucky
is everyone who had the pleasure of meeting N’Deaye and how unlucky
are those who never got to know her kindness. To have known N'Deaye
was to have been touched by her warmth, to have welcomed her generosity,
to have embraced her love and been lifted, oh so high, with her
enthusiasm. It will be long time before her memory fades. Whether
for play, work or sharing tales, she is missed. All my love. N’Deaye
was unforgettable to all who knew her. As a close friend of hers,
I knew she would always be there for a smile, encouragement, to
make me laugh and to make me think. She was truly one of the most
alive and vibrant people I have ever known. Though the space she
leaves behind is enormous, the space she filled is even greater.
And the impact she made on the world with her love, talent, honesty,
loyalty and wonderful sense of humor will continue to make her unforgettable
in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew her. Namaste N’Deaye.
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