Tears fell freely from the face of Victoria Stafford's mother as she remembered her "best friend in the entire world" during a memorial service for the murdered eight-year-old.

Tara McDonald told a crowd of about 800 mourners packed into a Woodstock, Ont., church that she'd give her own life just to hear her daughter's sweet little voice again.

"She had such an amazing personality, so full of love, happiness and a passion for life that I've never seen and I doubt I'll ever see again," she said.

"Her positive attitude just radiated from her and was contagious to anyone that came into contact with her."

The small southwestern Ontario city was gripped by the April disappearance of the girl everyone knew as Tori and then shocked, saddened and angered to learn of her death.

Two people are charged with first-degree murder and police continue to search for her body.

Mom reads son's message to Victoria: 'I miss you every night'

During the service the girl's father, several of her aunts and her 11-year-old brother Daryn also reflected on their "spunky little princess."

The young boy broke down in tears shortly after beginning to read his reflections, so McDonald stepped in.

"I miss seeing you every night, I miss you laying in bed until we had to leave for school, I miss hugging you," she read.

"I miss brushing my teeth with you. I miss kissing you goodnight. I miss walking to school with you. I miss arguing with you and finally, I miss holding you.

"All I can do is think about you and think that I'm your brother, which means that I'm supposed to protect you, but I guess that I didn't."

Rodney Stafford, Tori's father, said he always believed his children would make a difference in the world, but not in the way the tragedy played out.

He said he now must step in to make that difference, including seeking changes to Amber Alert legislation.

Debate remains over whether provincial criteria that guides when an alert is triggered — and followed by Oxford Community Police — is always appropriate in light of the young girl's abduction.

A slideshow featuring lively pictures of the tiny blond girl was shown after her family members spoke.