Katie Suarez, the Brooklyn runner allegedly killed by a former police officer, was remembered Thursday as a warm, loving and joyful woman whose smile brightened the lives of those around her. Family, friends and neighbors wore purple, her favorite color, as they gathered at the Church of Sts. Simon and Jude in Gravesend, less than two miles from where she was fatally stabbed during an evening run. Anguished cries broke out several times during the service.

Rev. Edwin A. Ortiz urged mourners to focus not only on the horrific circumstances of her death but on the kindness and friendship she shared throughout her life. "Will we remember Katie only because of the way she died? Or will we honor her for how she treated others, how she welcomed people, took time to know them, listened to them and offered advice?" Ortiz asked. The bilingual service was conducted in English and Spanish, and Suarez's family did not speak. Ortiz, who said she treated him like family, described a "joy and peace" behind her smile.S1S2

Her parents, Yasira and Nery, who discovered their daughter's body after Sayed Mohassib allegedly attacked her, have publicly demanded justice and described the 28-year-old as an "angel." At the church, they released the first of dozens of purple balloons. Family friend Katherine Angotti said the parents are "devastated" and argued that the city system had failed Suarez.S1S2

Hundreds attended her wake at Cusimano and Russo Funeral Home the previous evening, and a grieving mourner wrote "Goodbye, sweet angel" on a memorial board. Jerry Rivera Jr. said he felt guilty that Suarez was alone when she was targeted, noting that the Empire State Family Motorcycle Team usually spends evenings at the nearby promenade but was not there that night. Other mourners criticized poor lighting along the path and urged the city to add surveillance cameras and police patrols. Suarez will be buried at Green-Wood Cemetery.S1S2