In his 18 years of life, Christopher Comly of Hartland Township gathered more than his share of friends.

Whether they knew him for their whole lives or just a year or two, they say the same thing about him - they never saw him in a bad mood, he would always put a smile on your face, and he would do anything for you.

Comly died Sunday morning in a one-car accident less than a mile from his home.

His death has prompted an outpouring of grief among his friends and family, more than 300 of whom gathered on Sunday at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Brighton Township.

"It was really hard. I didn't stop crying the whole time," said Colleen Mahar, who had been dating Comly. "The only thing that has actually helped has been to be around his friends and family ... nobody will ever forget him. He touched a lot of people."

Comly's father, Ian, recalled his son constantly telling him the names of the people he was going to hang out with - and it was a long list.

"We were sometimes confused. Who are all these people? But it was true," he said. "Apparently, he had a way of connecting with people more so than his father or mother ever did."

Judging from what his friends had to say about him, that's true.

"He always knew how to brighten up everyone's day," said Ryan Martin, 18, of Hartland. "He was always laughing and smiling. I've never seen him upset."

"It seemed like he was always in a good mood, no matter what," said John Germane, 17. "He was an all around happy guy. It's a shame."

Krista Steigerwalt and Gretchen Sunderland, both 17, remembered spending nights stargazing with Comly while eating Pixy Stix candy.

"Basically, he was an awesome guy," Sunderland said. "Everyone remembers his smile and laugh."

"He'd do anything for you. He didn't get mad at you," Steigerwalt said.

She recalled when Comly taught her how to play golf: "I would be terrible and hold up everyone. He'd just laugh and say 'It's OK, take your time.'"

Comly also played hockey, spent a lot of time on the lake near his home, and had completed all the requirements of an Eagle Scout - including a service project fixing up and landscaping the Hartland Music Hall. He may be given the honor posthumously.

But it was his easy demeanor that his friends remembered.

Steve Greene recalled the time a group including Comly went to Ann Arbor this winter during some particularly cold and harsh weather. On the way home, Comly bent the key to his car, and spent several minutes fixing it. When they got into the car, he realized he had a spare key the whole time.

"He reacted the way he always reacted. He laughed and he smiled," Greene said.

But now there are tears, grief and memories. Coming together on Sunday at the church was very helpful, many said.

"I didn't have any idea it was going to be that large," said Mary Mahar, Colleen's mother. "Kids just came together because Chris was a friend to everybody."

"It was really moving. He would have loved it," Steigerwalt said.

"I've never seen everyone come together like that before," Germane said. "It was just a really nice thing. It helped immensely."

Comly had a bright future. He was enrolled at Kettering University in Flint, and had an internship set up at Beaumont Hospital.

"He did pretty much all this stuff on his own," his father said.

He also described how his son would spend at least a week with each set of grandparents every year since the age of 9.

"He was a great son. We had our challenges, but I don't think they were much different than anybody," Ian Comly said.

On the night of the crash, Ian Comly said, his son was returning from driving a friend home. He said believes his son fell asleep at the wheel.

Along with his friends, Comly is survived by his father and mother, Lori Comly; a brother, Grant Comly; grandparents, Marvin and Phyllis Grenke of St. Joseph and Keith and Jean Comly of Tennessee; and two aunts and one uncle.

They no doubt shared Germane's thought on a friend's life cut too short: "Everyone loved Chris. That's basically the only way I can put it."