She loved to read, loved her sorority and was devoted to her friends, and Tuesday night hundreds of those who knew Nicole Bingham gathered to remember her with a mixture of laughter and tears.

“The thing that I have learned is that tears heal and I will keep wading through,” said Nancy Bingham, Nicole Bingham’s mother.

Nancy Bingham, of Wichita, spoke of her daughter during a memorial service held in the sanctuary at Lawrence Free Methodist Church, 3001 Lawrence Ave. The sanctuary, which seats about 500 people, was nearly full.

Nicole Bingham, 21, died Oct. 7 when a massive fire swept through her Boardwalk Apartments building in the 500 block of Fireside Drive. She would have turned 22 on Oct. 12.

The Kansas University senior was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and her sorority sisters attended the service.

So did KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway.

“We come together as a community at times like this,” he said, acknowledging that he didn’t personally know Nicole before her death. “It’s very clear to me that she was a vital part of our University of Kansas community. She made things very special for everybody.”

Mourners line up outside Lawrence Free Methodist Church, 3001 Lawrence Ave., for the memorial service of Nichole Bingham, a Kansas University senior. Bingham died in the Boardwalk Apartments fire on Oct. 7.

Several of Nicole Bingham’s close friends spoke, including Donna Bascom, who recalled Bingham’s fondness for Louis Armstrong’s song “What a Wonderful World.”

“Every time I hear that song I’m going to think of Nicole,” Bascom said.

Baskets containing colored ribbons attached to slips of paper bearing some lyrics from the Armstrong song were passed through the audience as they were asked to light a candle sometime in Nicole’s memory.

Nicole Bingham developed a love for books and reading at a young age, Nancy Bingham said. She also liked to playfully argue, especially with her grandfather.

“It was a game that she and her grandfather played. They would argue about anything,” Nancy Bingham said. “They’d laugh and laugh. Then they’d switch sides.”

Nicole Bingham went on to become a top-notch member of the debate team at Wichita North High School, her debate instructor, Sandi Johnson, told the Journal-World last week.

Nicole Bingham survived heart problems and open heart surgery, a condition that made her anxious to graduate from college, get a job and take care of herself, Nancy Bingham said.

Nancy Bingham also commended the Lawrence community for its support since the fire, including the police and fire departments, the American Red Cross and others she said showed sensitivity and compassion.

Others spoke of Nicole Bingham’s devotion to her friends.

“She’s in each and every one of us,” said fellow KU student and friend Luke Grover. “She’s taken up residence in our hearts.”

Nicole Bingham held a special place in her heart for Mount Crested Butte in Colorado, a mountain she wanted to climb but was prevented from doing due to her heart condition. The mountain will be her final resting place when her ashes are scattered there in July 2006.

Her memory also will live on through memorial contributions in her name to the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City, Mo., where a room will be given her name. Ronald McDonald House, where she spent time after her heart surgery, was her favorite charity. The Alpha Delta Pi organization has made a “generous donation” to that charity, Nancy Bingham said.

In addition, a Nicole Bingham Memorial Scholarship has been set up through the KU Endowment Association.

Two other people also died in the fire. Memorial services for Yolanda Riddle, 33, a social worker, and Jose Gonzalez, 50, an electrician, were held last week.

Police arrested Jason Allen Rose, 20, a few days after the fire; he now faces murder and arson charges.