SIMONE Wadsworth was a beautiful and charming young woman who could wrap anyone around her finger within five minutes of meeting them.
The popular 17-year-old, a Singleton High School student and keen netballer, was killed in a car accident near Jerrys Plains on Monday night.
The P-plater was driving along Jones Reserve Road at Doyles Creek when her sedan left the bitumen road and struck a tree.
Simone was driving back to her family home after picking up a friend.
Police said Simone and her passenger were both thrown from the car despite wearing seatbelts.
The passenger, 18, suffered neck and arm fractures.
The pair had planned an outing in Newcastle yesterday before returning to Singleton High School, where Simone was to be presented with an academic award last night.
As a mark of respect, the year 11 awards were not presented.
"Her love of life was unbelievable," long-time family friends Cathy and Brad Pfeiffer said.
"She was involved in everything . . . a truly beautiful girl and her personality was infectious. She touched a lot of people with her amazing spirit."
Simone had been planning her summer holidays and her long-term future in the hospitality industry.
Yesterday her father Brian, a Singleton ambulance officer, and mother Wendy told of a daughter who was larger than life, had a flair for cooking and lived every day at 110 per cent.
"It doesn't make any difference whether this happened a week before Christmas or any other time of the year," Mr Wadsworth said yesterday.
Among the tributes posted at theherald.com.au yesterday was a comment from a Wollombi resident: "This is a timely reminder. I beg you all to please be careful on the road. The ripple effect of a death or injury is massive, believe me, I know, we have been through it twice."
Mrs Wadsworth said Simone gave 110 per cent to any task and would help anyone.
"She embraced the change during her school transition," Mrs Wadsworth said.
"Simone wasn't your average teenager. She was a beautiful girl who would go out of her way to say hello and ask if she could help."
Mr and Mrs Pfeiffer, whose children grew up with the Wadsworths' five children Nicole, James, Simone, Andrew and Christopher said Simone was like another daughter to them.
"She was full of life, so bubbly," Mrs Pfeiffer said.
"Simone was the party. She was the life of the party and really lived her life."
Simone and her family played netball and rugby in Singleton.
She played netball and coached juniors and was last year named netball club person of the year.
She spent her junior high school years at St Catherine's High School at Singleton before switching to Singleton High School this year to complete years 11 and 12.
Her parents said she embraced the transition and her principal Tony Jarrett vouched for that.
"Simone's death is such a great loss to the entire community," Mr Jarrett said.
"She was very popular with both students and staff, very co-operative and a very capable student."
The schools held a combined memorial service yesterday.
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