Maryam Rashidi remembered at public memorial service

A public service was heldfor the Calgary woman killed in a gas-and-dash incident last weekend.

About 300 peoplegathered for the"celebration of life" service forMaryamRashidiattheBownessCommunity Hall Saturday afternoon.

• Maryam Rashidi's husband speaks of loss, heartbreak after her gas-and-dash death

Rashidi, 35,diedin hospital after beingrunover by a stolen trucklast Sunday.

Several people took to the microphone to talk aboutRashidi, even people who had never met her.

"Like a lot of you here, I did not know Maryam,but why does it feel like we lost a relative, a very close relative? What has happened here that made an entire city cry all together? What did Maryamdo that made this city a much more compassionate city than it was last week?" said Saima Jamal.

Perhaps Calgariansrelated to Rashidi's courage and her dream of making a new life in Calgary, Jamaladded.

Calgary-Hawkwood MLAMichael Connolly offered condolences on behalf of the provincial government.

"Maryam will not be forgotten," he said.

Rashidi, a processing engineer, was recently laid off. Shetook ajob at aCentexgas station so the family could continue to live in their basement apartment and havefood on thetable.

She had been working as a gas station attendant for just three days when she chased the stolen truckout of the parking lot after the driverfilledup with $113of fuel and drove off without paying.

The company plans to implement "pay before you pump" systems at all of its gas stations.

Joshua Cody Mitchell, 20, is charged withcriminal negligence causing death, dangerousdriving causing death, hit and run causing death, and possession of stolen property over $5,000, and theft.