India, June 20 -- At the Sewri Christian Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, under grey skies and swaying trees, God was a palpable presence at the funeral of Clive Kunder, the 32-year-old co-pilot of the ill-fated Ahmedabad-London flight. Rain whispered across the leaves and gravestones as mourners gathered beneath a gazebo to remember a man who was, by all accounts, as devoted to his family and faith as he was to the skies he flew.

"Seventeen years ago, we met Clive for the first time. Since then, we watched him grow, evolve, and soar," said Steffi Miranda, a close friend from Wilson College, addressing an emotional gathering that included Kunder's parents and younger sister, Camille. "But today, we are here first and foremost for his fami...