Andrew Chan hated his glasses and avoided wearing them, despite at times not being able to recognise people, his widow Febyanti Herewila said at his funeral on Friday.
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But on the night of his execution in Indonesia, the convicted drug smuggler put them on defiantly, refusing a blindfold, belting out a worship song and looking at the firing squad point blank.
"That night, he chose to wear it, because he wanted to look them in the eyes. And he sang and he ended well. He ended well," said Ms Herewila, whom Chan married a few days before the execution.
On Friday morning, more than 1500 people gathered at Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills in Sydney's north-west for the funeral of Chan, one of the Bali nine drug smuggling leaders.
Ms Herewila said the eight prisoners - Chan, fellow Bali nine leader Myuran Sukumaran, four Nigerians, a Brazilian man and an Indonesian man - sang the worship song Mighty to Save as they were led to the execution site on Nusakambangan prison island on April 29.
When their voices began to falter, Chan, who converted to Christianity in prison, cried out: "Come on boys, we can sing better than this!"
They then sang the hymn Amazing Grace.
"When they were tied up on the pole, they all sang 10,000 Reasons, the song we sang on our engagement day, the song we sang on our wedding day," said Ms Herewila, an Indonesian pastor.
"He sang that song. They all managed to finish the first verse, and in the second verse, halfway, they took him."
Ms Herewila, who met Chan four years ago during her evangelism work, used the live-streamed funeral to comfort the hearts and minds of prisoners on death row around the world.
"Today I want to share this, to all the people with death sentences around the world. Those in prisons who watch this. All the people who have a very difficult time right now," she said.
"Andrew managed to end it well. Andrew managed to bless people. Andrew managed to forgive those who hurt him, those who mock him, it's only because of Jesus. It's only because of Jesus," she said.
"If you want to have the same courage, the same peace, if you want to end it well with him, it's only through Jesus."
Ms Herewila told how Chan wrote her a letter every day "without fail". In one of his last letters, he asked her to continue to fight the injustices of the death penalty.
"How can someone be so strong facing death, and say forgive them. Not only that, while they're walking through that field, they say: 'Bless Indonesia! Bless Indonesia! Bless Indonesia!' " she said.
"In one of his last letters to me, he wrote: 'You will need to continue with the visions for this island. Never forget the people there. I have found love for them throughout. Darling, continue to fight [the injustice] in this country."
EARLIER: Family, friends and well-wishers packed the enormous Hillsong Church in Sydney's Baulkham Hills on Friday morning for the funeral of executed Bali nine drug smuggler Andrew Chan.
Salvation Army minister David Soper, who was Chan's spiritual mentor, led mourners in a service that sought to honour Chan's memory and celebrate his family's resilience.
Mr Soper had been chosen by Chan and fellow convict Myuran Sukumaran to be present at their execution, and he spoke of what he witnessed at the funeral.
"In those last precious minutes of Andrew's life, I stood over him ... devastated by the tragic waste," he said. "I saw great courage and strength. I saw peace and assurance. I saw radiant beauty and joy."
Chan, who was 31 when he was executed on April 29, had converted to Christianity in prison and became a pastor, running regular church services inside the jail.
"He is with his maker," Mr Soper said at the funeral. He also paid tribute to Chan's parents Ken and Helen, and siblings Michael, Frances and Mary.
"As a family you have lived well and given beyond measure," he said. "In the worst of circumstances you have prevailed and shone through."
With a purple ribbon pinned to his white shirt, Michael Chan spoke emotionally of a brother who "showed me that everyone can change for the better".
"People deserve second chances in life," he said. "He showed us all that even when we have such a heavy burden hanging over our head, we can still change into a better human being."
Chan said he would miss arguing with his brother about NRL rivalries. But he would also miss "those big manly hugs we gave each other, the sound of your laugh, and so much more".
He asked mourners to think about "mercy", not just for his brother or Sukumaran, but for all people.
"The mercy campaign was about more than just Myuran and Andrew. It represents kindness and help for those in desperate situations," Chan said.
Speeches at the funeral were interspersed with songs of worship, in both English and Indonesian. Family friend Miranda Riddington, who met Chan at Kerobokan prison 10 years ago when her daughter was invited to sing at the prison church, said Chan was a generous and much loved pastor following his conversion to Christianity.
"He literally had a hotline to heaven," she said. "He was one of the greatest pastors I have ever known. He was the real deal."
She also shared the love story of Chan and his wife, Febyanti Herewila. When Ms Herewila - known as Feby - walked into his life four years ago, she said began the season of his life as "prince charming".
"Their friendship grew slowly and steadily, they both had one thing in common, and that was a heart and a passion for the things of God and Feby brought out the best in Andrew," Ms Riddington said.
Falling in love, Chan grew in confidence and became "more and more handsome" each day. Feby encouraged Chan to complete his bible college studies, even taking a stack of textbooks to Cilicap the week before the announcement of his execution.
"At the end of the [wedding] service he hugged me and said, 'I'm sorry we didn't get very far with the pre-marriage counselling, but we'll work it out'," Ms Riddington said.
"And yeah, they would have worked it out. So he became the prince charming to the princess, princess Feby."
A eulogy Chan wrote himself was read at the funeral.
"Thank you all for gathering here on this day to witness something great," Chan wrote.
"My last moments here on Earth I sang out hallelujah.
"I ran a good race. I fought the good fight and came out a winner, in God's eyes.
"Ask yourself, what did I leave with you? That will determine my legacy."
