JUST weeks ago 17-year-old Morgan Turner was enjoying life to the full, celebrating the arrival of the New Year with his mates at the Marion Bay Falls Festival.

He was getting the most out of his summer holidays before heading into his final year of college.

But last Thursday tragedy struck when he was killed in a car accident -- days after receiving his P-plates.

Hundreds of classmates, friends and family members gave Morgan an emotional farewell at the Cornelian Bay Cemetery yesterday.

The Wellington Crematorium Chapel was full, with many mourners listening to the service from the carport at the building's entrance.

Morgan's parents, Greg and Maxine Turner, wept during the service before farewelling their only son with the release of a dove outside the chapel.

The Elizabeth College student was honoured by many young people -- classmates, teammates and sporting rivals alike -- who watched the service with an air of disbelief.

He was celebrated for his wide-ranging sporting interests and love of friends and family.

A soccer ball sat alongside the mass of flowers decorating his casket, along with a Dilmah cap -- a reference to his sense of humour and well-known hat collection.

Morgan played soccer, cricket, water polo, underwater hockey and indoor soccer and was also a surfer, swimmer and lifeguard for the YMCA.

During his six years as sweeper for the Metro Claremont soccer club, the team did not lose a premiership.

Morgan's cousin, Ben Balmer, spoke of his passion for all things competitive.

"Sport was huge part of his life, with soccer being his main choice," Mr Balmer said.

"He looked forward to the soccer season, partly due to his competitive nature, but more so for meeting up with his teammates and mates in opposition teams."

As well as the many notices published in the Mercury, Morgan's myspace webpage received many personal messages.

More than 80 messages have been posted on his page since Thursday, with the first one submitted less than an hour after his death.

Death notices in the Mercury over the weekend and yesterday included one from the YMCA, where he was a life guard, and New Town High School, where he was a prefect in 2005.

Reverend Brian Eccles highlighted the sentiments of those gathered at the funeral yesterday with the opening of his eulogy: "Death is always difficult to come to terms with, especially when it is someone as young as Morgan, a young man with so much love, joy of life and such potential."