FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Friends and family members gathered from near and far on Friday to honor a fallen soldier who died after a bomb blast.

Cpl. Kevin Mowl was on his way to deliver money to help Iraqi school children when he was caught in a bomb blast. Mowl was on the road to recovery but died suddenly from complications. The same roadside bomb killed three Stryker soldiers immediately.

Mowl's family traveled from New York for the memorial service.

The service was like no other because Mowl was expected to survive the bomb blast from last summer. His parents and sister. were all by his side when Kevin's condition took a turn for the worst.

For fellow 3rd Stryker brigade soldiers, it's difficult to talk about Mowl without shedding tears.

"Cpl Kevin Scott Mowl was a loving brother and son. You are greatly missed, my friend. Never will you be forgotten," said Staff Sgt. Kenneth Hoffman.

"My wife and my daughter and I of course continue to miss him very much," said Mowl's father, Harold Mowl.

Mowl's father kept a blog of his son's recovery.

"Throughout the 7 months we remained very optimistic that he would eventually recover. So needless to say, we were shocked that he didn't make it," he said.

The 22-year-old soldier fought in Iraq for 13 months and fought in his hospital bed for 7. HE was buried with full military honors in his hometown of Pittsford, New York.