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Family and friends filled a suburban Boston church yesterday to bid a heartbreaking farewell to marathon bombing victim Krystle Campbell (inset).
Hundreds of others who could not get into the packed St. Joseph Church in Medford stood outside to pay their respects to the beloved 29-year-old restaurant manager, who was one of three people killed at last Monday’s race.
Campbell’s mother, Patty, and other family members and friends were joined at the service by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Sean Cardinal O’Malley.
The Rev. Chip Hines spoke for the relatives, who were too overcome to speak at the service, said mourner Marishi Charles.
His message was that Campbell “was always there for people.”
“As long as Krystle was around, you were OK,” he said. “These were the words her family wanted you to remember.”
She was “beautiful, fun and lovely,’’ added Julia Dziamba, a co-worker.
Campbell was near the finish line to cheer on a friend when she was killed in one of two explosions.
About 20 police motorcycles escorted her casket and pallbearers carried it into the church past an honor guard of firefighters.
A group of union workers from Teamsters Local 25, along with members of a motorcycle club and others were on the street to make sure that a possible protest by the Westboro Baptist Churh which had threatened to picket the church would not disturb the grieving family.
The protest did not happen. The group chased away one man with a sign, said a 49-year-old former Boston pub owner who came to the church to support the mourners.