SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Emotions were high Saturday as friends and family of Deacon Darren Lewis gathered at Christ Memorial Baptist Church to say goodbye and celebrate his 60 years of life.

Lewis was hit and killed by a car in a police chase earlier this month. His wife, Kathy, talked to exclusively about their love.

Those who know him best remembered him for his love for food, humor, faithfulness, and bright smile.

“What I knew when I met that man was there was love in his heart,” Bobby Gibson said. “It didn’t matter what my skin color was, what I came to do, if it was a job he was paying me for, he always treated me like a friend.”

“He was an amazing man,” his son, Larry Drake, said. “I saw how well he took care of my mother, and that made me a better man. It gave me a new perspective about my own marriage.”

Lewis grew up in Brooklyn, New York, but his family moved to Savannah when he was a teenager. He was a 1982 graduate of Windsor Forest High School. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. Years later, he settled back in Savannah, marrying Kathy in May 2000.