Moonlight and candlelight lit the grounds of Colbert Memorial Chapel Monday night as students, family and friends of Lauren “Haley” Mauldin remembered her life and what she meant to them. The graveside vigil followed her funeral, which was earlier that day.

Mauldin passed away Oct. 7 of natural causes, according to Colbert County Coroner Carlton Utley.

According to UNA spokesman Josh Woods, Mauldin, of Muscle Shoals, was a sophomore seeking an undergraduate degree in psychology at UNA.

“I don’t have a bad story to tell about her,” said Emily McCann, a close friend of Mauldin. “(There was) never a hateful word, never a distasteful comment (from her).”

McCann and Mauldin met in kindergarten, and had attended school together since that time.

“She was always helpful, and that was kindergarten, and it stayed that way throughout her life,” she said.

Mauldin had a tattoo that said “Live Free” and she truly lived by that motto, according to McCann.

“Whether we were talking every second or we hadn’t talked in a month, Haley always made me feel at home,” McCann said.

McCann said she was blessed to even have met Mauldin, or to be able to call her a friend.

“All of us at UNA are deeply saddened by the death of Lauren Haley Mauldin,” said Vice President for Student Affairs David Shields. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and her many friends.”

She touched the lives of many people and was a remarkable young woman, Shields said.

“She was dedicated to helping others and was pursuing a career to become a doctor of psychology,” Shields said. “We will remember her and strive to follow her example to live life to the fullest.”

Friends and co-workers remember Mauldin for her ability to always smile and make everything fun.

“She was very opened minded and nice to everybody,” said Zach McMasters, a UNA graduate and former co-worker of Mauldin. “She was very cheery, easy going and fun to work with. She was so beautiful. I actually remember having a crush on her.”

McMasters worked with Mauldin at PacSun from 2007-2009.

“I was very, very shocked (to hear of her death),” he said. “She was always very beautiful and very much fun to be around. I rarely saw her in a bad mood.”

Mauldin’s death was a shock to Caroline Edwards, a UNA student and former boss to Mauldin at PacSun.

“Haley was goofy,” she said. “She always made work go by quicker and was a very hard worker and someone you could rely on.”