The voices of the choir rose inside the cavernous Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa Saturday for the one voice that was missing: that of state Health Director Loretta Fuddy, who lent her soprano to the choir every Sunday.

Fuddy, who died Dec. 11 after a flight from Kalaupapa crash-landed in waters off Molokai, was fondly remembered at services Saturday by friends, family members, colleagues, fellow parishioners and Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

"Loretta is one with infinity today," Abercrombie said, his voice breaking, "and goes with joy and light and continues to sing."

About 1,000 people came to pay their respects, including parishioner Carmelita Sabio, who recalled the last time she saw her.

"(The) last Sunday before it happened, she shook my hand," Sabio said. "The smile is so beautiful. That is the last remembrance I have. She is a very nice lady, so generous and so kind."

She added, "I don’t want to see her in the coffin. I want to see her smiling face."

Fuddy, 65, was the only one of the Cessna’s nine occupants, including seven other passengers and the pilot, who did not survive.

"I cannot imagine why she is the only one," Sabio said. "Maybe God called her."

Maui police said Wednesday the cause of death has not yet been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

The Rev. William Kunisch said that when he first met Fuddy, she said, "I feel like I know you from another life," and he had to remind her that Catholics don’t believe in reincarnation. That drew a chuckle from those in attendance.

He asked Fuddy to serve on the church’s pastoral and finance committees as well as the school board, and joked she was often at the church more than he was.

Abercrombie’s appointment, he said, gave her an opportunity to serve others. When vaccines were given at the school, she was there administering them herself.

"I had a strong sense that she found her stride, and she felt fulfilled in her life’s missions," Kunisch said. Wherever she was, whether at work or with family or at church, "Loretta led with her heart" and "served joyfully," he added.

Friend Julie Nowell, a public health nurse who met Fuddy at the Waimanalo Health Center more than 30 years ago, told attendees they founded a weight loss support group but enjoyed eating too much and so adopted the name Kau Kau Aliis, sharing food and laughter.

Nowell said Fuddy had the heart of a social worker and worked tirelessly.

Fuddy’s neighbors at the small condominium complex where she lived near St. Theresa’s said they shared a common bond with Fuddy: a love of cats. They have been caring for Flint, a gray cat with white paws that Fuddy rescued and nursed back to health.

But stray animals weren’t the only things that found their way to Fuddy’s door. Dona Hanaike recalled that a young woman once showed up there drunk and lost.

"She knew how to call for help and get them calmed down," Hanaike said of the visitors, at one point telling Fuddy, "You’re a magnet for people who need help."

Amy Agbayani, director of Student Diversity Programs at the University of Hawaii, said she met Fuddy through the Abercrombie campaign.

"I’m one of those who didn’t really know her personally, but she represented a real public servant, someone who worked hard and with very little public acknowledgment, with great impact," she said.

During the service, Abercrombie handed a folded flag to the late health director’s brother, Lewis Fuddy.

"It’s a great honor," Fuddy said after the service.