Community mourns the loss of Kuna teen

About 200 people attended a Saturday memorial service for a 19-year-old Kuna man who died Monday in a car-train collision.

Friends and family spoke of Peter “PJ” Francois as someone who had a bright future ahead of him, and who touched many people in his short life.

“PJ wasn’t just someone who could change the world, he was someone who did change the world,” said Keith Waggoner, pastor of the Grace Bible Church in Nampa, for Francois’s eulogy.

In the program for the service, Francois’s “favorites” are listed: including his favorite song (“If My Heart was a House,” by Owl City), his favorite foods (“Dad’s pesto pasta, Jamaican chicken, tri-tip and pizza”) and his favorite Pokemon (Mega Gardevior).

Francois’s mother read aloud letters she and her son had written for each other, and wept when she spoke about her hopes for his future.

Reading from a letter she had written to Francois when he was six, she said, “My love for you is so great, the word ‘love’ does not seem to cover it.”

Donations in Francois’s honor are being accepted here.

This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 6:12 PM with the headline "Community mourns the loss of Kuna teen."