Hundreds gather to mourn slain Pitt student Alina Sheykhet

The funeral for Alina Sheykhet began Wednesday with a confirmation of what the crowd of more than 200 mourners felt as they cried and stared at a large portrait of her smiling face in the front of the chapel.

“No words can adequately express the sorrow of this moment,” cantor Sara Stock Mayo told the mourners. “I will do my best to give words to something that is unspeakable.”

Sheykhet, 20, a University of Pittsburgh junior, was found dead in her Oakland home by her parents Sunday morning. Her ex-boyfriend, arrested Wednesday in South Carolina, is accused of killing her.

Mayo guided the mourners through a 30-minute service at Shadyside's Ralph Schugar Chapel as Sheykhet's closed casket sat behind her. The service included heart-wrenching remembrances from friends and family.

“A couple days ago, I was supposed to be waking up to celebrate my 25th birthday,” Sheykhet's older brother Artem said as he paused between tears. “Instead I woke up to a complete nightmare.”

He described the horror that came with the phone call from his parents informing him of his sister's death. Alina Sheykhet's parents, Yan and Elly, had gone to pick up their daughter Sunday morning for a cancer awareness walk. They found her bludgeoned to death in her bedroom.

“I never drove so fast in my life,” Artem Sheykhet said, describing his rush to be by his parents' side before he broke down crying.

He regained his composure to talk about his sister's lovable nature, ambitious drive to become a physical therapist and ability to uplift friends and family with her sense of humor and fun-loving, charismatic personality. She excelled at singing, dancing and gymnastics and had a love of animals.

When Artem Sheykhet's daughter, Angelina, was born over the summer, his sister was by his side.

“I could keep talking for days about what a great person and loving sister Alina was,” he said. “Growing up in Russia, my parents always wanted the best for her.”

The family moved to the Pittsburgh area from Ivanovo, Russia, when she was 4. She went on to graduate from Montour High School in 2015.

“Every time I look into my daughter's eyes, I will think God put Alina's soul inside of her,” he said.

Alina Sheykhet attended University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg for two years before accomplishing her goal of transferring to the Oakland campus this fall. She got a job at the Hilton Garden Inn to help with expenses.

A serious ballet class injury to her knee in high school led her to take an interest in physical therapy. It became a passion.

“She knew that one day she could help others, especially children,” Mayo said.

Toward the end of the service Wednesday, Mayo sang the song “Memory” from one of Alina Sheykhet's favorite musicals, “Cats.”

“Memory

All alone in the moonlight

I can dream of the old days

Life was beautiful then

I remember the time I knew what happiness was

Let the memory live again.”

After she finished singing, Mayo told crowd, “Say her name. Honor her memory. Tell her story.”

Pavel Kalenny, cousin of Alina's father, Yan, described how her eyes resembled her father's eyes.

“We used to always make fun of how she was always Daddy's girl and looked like him,” he said. “Alina loved life.”

He then made an appeal to investigators.

“To all the detectives, to the city, this is not your ordinary case,” said. “We demand justice.”

The service appeared to be ending when a high school friend, Salvatore Desimone, 20, of Coraopolis, asked to speak.

“I just want to express my condolences. Families should never have to go through this,” Desimone said.

“She was super-smart, always correcting the way I talked,” he continued, prompting laughter.

“She was too perfect for the world, so God wanted her back,” Desimone said. “To her family and friends, I am so sorry for your loss.”

As the funeral service ended, Mayo announced that Alina's parents, Yan and Elly, were inviting everyone to their home after the burial at Homewood Cemetery. Affirming their sincerity, she read the Sheykhets' home address to the mourners.

Ben Schmitt is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7991, bschmitt@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @Bencschmitt.