Zandrea Bailey, a finalist in the 2014 Miss Universe Jamaica competition, lost her battle with lupus on January 13, last year. The 29-year-old died in a New York hospital.

Bailey had been diagnosed with lupus in 2012. Two years later, Bailey lost her mother to lupus and that same year, she emerged as a finalist in the pageant.

In remembering the beauty pageant contestant, Karl Williams, co-principal of Uzuri International — the Miss Universe Jamaica franchise holders, noted that she was “a remarkable young woman with a million-dollar smile”.

“She was an amazing young lady, really smart, and really likeable. Her cause during the pageant had been to raise awareness about lupus, and I really thought she would have pulled through,” said Williams in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

A graduate of the Trelawny-based Westwood High School and a University of the West Indies (UWI) past student, Zandrea had ambitions of becoming a lawyer before being denied a place in the 2011 batch of law students at UWI. Unbothered by the rejection, she pursued a degree in political science and philosophy while maintaining an active life on campus.

Her thanksgiving service was held on February 10 at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church in St Ann.

Bailey was one of the standout contestants at the 2014 Miss Universe Jamaica final.

“She was a crowd favourite because of her natural hair, her beautiful dark skin and her million-dollar smile. After the pageant, we kept in touch, she was really close to Kaci Fennell, who is torn up about it. Zandrea will be sadly missed,” Williams added.

Kaci Fennell won the local leg of the contest in 2014 and placed fourth runner-up to Paulina Vega of Colombia.

— Kediesha Perry