Hundreds of mourners gathered to pay tribute to a “beautiful and vibrant” woman who was laid to rest in High Wycombe on Friday more than two months after she was “stabbed to death”.

The heartbroken family and friends of Samantha Clarke, 38, who was found with multiple stab wounds at an address in Brixton on April 15, crammed into St Andrew’s Church on Friday afternoon for her funeral.

The service was a celebration of Samantha’s life, with music, tributes and memories from her parents and siblings Janelle, Venessa, Dwaine and Craig, other family members and friends, as well as prayers and a video.

She arrived at the Hatters Lane church in a white coffin, surrounded by red and white flowers. Her father, brothers, her husband Paul, their son, her uncle and her brother-in-law escorted her coffin into the church.

Wilmoth Bullock, Samantha’s devastated father, told the crowds the death of his “beautiful, gorgeous princess” had left a “huge hole” in their hearts.

He said: “Her life has been cut short but memories of her beautiful smile will forever remain in our hearts. She made me a proud father.”

Her mother Camilla, said: “Our sweet Sam has been taken away from us. No one can fix our broken hearts. Sam was very much a determined young lady. She was ambitious and adventurous and family time meant the world to her. She was so gentle and full of life.

“Our dear, sweet, precious Sam has gone. She will always be in our hearts.”

Samantha’s sister Venessa said her “beautiful smile could light up the whole room” as she recounted childhood memories she cherished.

She added: “She was a generous, kind-hearted person – she would do anything for anyone and she was loved by everyone.

“She was an amazing mum and she lived her life for her son.

“The day before she died, she said she was going to London for the night and would be back tomorrow. But tomorrow never came.

“She was my sister and my best friend. We were supposed to grow old together. I feel like I’m screaming inside – we will never understand why this happened. One day we will meet again.”

Samantha’s cousin Jolene Thomas told how the family had been through “excruciating” pain since her death, adding that it “still doesn’t feel real”.

Following the church service, Samantha was laid to rest in High Wycombe cemetery before a celebration was held at Magnolia Park in Hughenden.

Samantha, who grew up and went to church in High Wycombe, was said to be planning to move back to the hometown she adored with her husband Paul and her son after starting a new job at the Red Lion Hotel in Henley in March.

She spent much of her career in hospitality, working for luxury hotels in London including the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, but also spent six years at Dun and Bradstreet at their offices in High Wycombe and Marlow.