A woman who was five-months pregnant who tragically died last week north of Wagga has been remembered by her grieving family as someone who emanated "one of the purest loves" from her big heart.
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Wagga woman Karli Prigg, 35, was the soon-to-be-wife of 34-year-old Tom Wivell, who met in 2016 and fell in love almost instantly.
A couple of years later, the pair began planning for their wedding, including an engagement party this April.
In honouring Karli's memory, Mr Wivell said her ability to lift people up during difficult times was one of her defining attributes.
"We had come into each other’s lives during some very trying times, but she had a smile that made everything go away," he said.
"I can remember not very long into our relationship, I’d be standing there and she would just look at me and I knew I loved this girl.
"Karli just had that ability to take everything away no matter what was going on."
It didn’t matter who you were, she was the same person to everyone.
- Tom Wivell
To family and close friends, the couple were known as ‘TomArli’.
The couple had moved from Shellharbour to Wagga not long after meeting to be closer to family.
Before moving, they regularly travelled to visit Mr Wivell's three children and it was Karli who suggested they needed to live closer to the kids.
"Karli was very much a mummy to them," Mr Wivell said.
While she loved his three children as her own, she also dearly wished to have a child of her own.
"I feel privileged that I was able to grant her that precious gift," Mr Wivell said.
He said he would remember her as someone who was real around everyone.
“She’s absolutely beautiful,” he said.
“It didn’t matter who you were, she was the same person to everyone.
“Karli was Karli, she didn’t change for anybody.”
Karli was one of six children and she worked as a supervisor in HealthShare NSW at Coolamon-Ganmain Hospital.
'Her happiness shone': mother
Her mother, Gayle, said she would remember her daughter's unconditional love, inner strength and beauty.
"Karli's beauty came from the very centre of her core,” Gayle said.
“That’s always been from the day she was born, it’s has never been any different.”
“Karli took everybody under her wings, including me when I needed it,” she said.
Gayle also said that "Karli's loving relationship Tom with contributed to her extreme happiness".
“Karli is just so happy because she has found the love of her life in Tom,” she said.
"One thing Karli strived for in life was to have a man who loved her unconditionally, stood by her side - not in front, not behind, but by her side and to have a baby.
“Her happiness just shone when she found all of that and more with her precious Tom."
Karli's younger sister Nelly said her sister never dreamt about big houses and flashy cars, but she was all about family.
"She wasn’t complex, she loved her family and that’s it,” Nelly said.
“The brightest part of her life was being with Tom, the kids and her family.
“If someone wasn’t okay, she always knew how to fix it.”
Gayle said there were “just so many words” to describe her daughter Karli and the family had a tattoo that encapsulates that exact spirit.
“The tattoo says 'Where life begins and Love never ends FAMILY’ and that sums up my precious girl Karli,” Gayle said.
“Although Tom doesn’t have this tattoo, we’re going to have him get it.”
Karli was also the step-daughter of Gerry; sister of Alison, Steve, Jarny, Blake; and devoted grand daughter, aunty, niece and cherished friend of many.
A funeral service for Karli will be held at the Alan Harris McDonald Chapel on Friday, March 22 starting at 2pm.
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