The day before Marina Morgan died in a golf buggy accident, her new husband Robbie noticed that she was glowing in a way he’d never seen before.
As the newlyweds boarded a helicopter over Hamilton Island for a special honeymoon flight on June 19, Ms Morgan snapped a photo to capture the special moment.
The picture shows Mrs Morgan in the back seat of the plane while her husband smiles from the front. Mr Morgan couldn’t say exactly why his wife looked so radiant at the time. Now he says it makes sense.
“She beamed before she left [this life]. She’s never looked so beautiful,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“Because God called her home.
Marina Morgan, 29, tragically died on her honeymoon on Hamilton Island last month. The day before she died, she took this photo of herself and her husband Robbie on a helicopter flight
‘She is an angel.
‘There are no two ways to do that.’
The following day, Ms Morgan, 29, was tragically killed when the couple’s buggy overturned as they attempted to do a U-turn.
Mr Morgan said there is a second photo that he also holds close to his heart.
Taken on the couple’s wedding anniversary – just 10 days before their deaths – the photo shows Mr Morgan lifting his smiling bride into the air on the dance floor at Doltone House in Hyde Park in Sydney as they share their love with family and friends celebrated.
Her grieving husband said the picture showed his stunning wife being “literally an angel” and was “by far” his favorite photo.
Two days after the shoot, the couple traveled north to Queensland, where they stayed at a luxurious resort, sipping cocktails, eating gourmet platters and lounging by the pool and beach.
Mr Morgan is pictured holding his bride up on the dance floor on their wedding day, June 11. He said this photo was “by far” his favorite of his wife.
Though honeymoons are inherently unforgettable, Mr. Morgan’s journey will forever be bittersweet.
“We spent it enjoying each other’s company and appreciating each other. Just having good time together,’ he said.
“It was heaven on earth.”
As Ms Morgan’s devastated loved ones come to terms with the death of the “caring, loyal, kindhearted” woman, they have devoted their energies to keeping her legacy alive by establishing a foundation in her name.
Mr Morgan said the Marina Morgan Foundation will “spread love, joy and kindness around the world – just as his wife did.
“The foundation will hold two major events each year,” he said.
The Morgans flaunted their rings for a photo as they headed to their wedding reception on June 11
Mr Morgan said the couple’s honeymoon (pictured) was “heaven on earth”.
“The first will be a charity ball, the second will be a family fun day, as Marina has always had family very close to her heart.”
There are rides, slides and food trucks on the Family Fun Days, and the nominated charity changes for each event.
Mr Morgan said there will be just one event this year – the Inaugural Black Tie Ball in November – with funds raised to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House.
The children’s charity was chosen because it was the last place Mrs Morgan did charity work before her death.
Mr Morgan said the foundation’s “key message” was to “spread love and hope to people who need it”.
The couple were due to marry in 2021 but their wedding was delayed when Sydney went into lockdown
Mr Morgan said the foundation’s first event in November will raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House (pictured, the Ronald McDonald House in Ohio).
“Marina was always there for everyone, without judgment or complaint. The love Marina shared with all of us was unconditional, it was hard to believe that such a small person had so much to give,” he said.
“We were blessed to share our lives with her and her passing has left a huge hole in our hearts and the only way to fill it is by coming together as one and helping those in need in her name and honor to help.”
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Coptic Orthodox St Mary’s & St Merkorious in Rhodes, north-west Sydney on Saturday to say their goodbyes to Ms Morgan.
The date marked exactly three weeks since family and friends had packed the same church to watch her marry the love of her life.
After traditional prayers were read, her brother Mark Hanna told the crowd how he would miss his “kindhearted sister” forever.
“There are no words that come close to the pain we feel in our hearts today,” he said, fighting back tears. “It looks like the sky is crying too.
Ms Morgan was bid farewell at a church funeral on Saturday, where she was remembered as a “caring, loyal, kind-hearted spirit” and “unconditional love” for everyone who knew her (pictured, Mr Morgan hugged mourners in the cemetery).
“Marina was a sweet, young, independent woman who was loved by everyone who knew her.
“She was beautiful inside and out, loved to laugh and always had a positive outlook on life.
In a bespoke poem, her cousin Miriam vowed to live her life “fearlessly” as Mrs Morgan “dared”.
She said she “snuggled up” with Ms Morgan the night before their wedding and the bride told her how “fulfilled” her life was.
“A daughter, a friend, a family member and a wife. Marina has truly fulfilled her greatest goal in life,” she said.
“Marrying her soulmate Robbie and being a bride while filling her family with pride.
“The night before her wedding we snuggled up and she told me how fulfilled she was and how life just couldn’t get any better.”
Mr Morgan and the mourners stand by the grave as the coffin is lowered into the ground