TAMPA, Fla. — Family, friends and members of the community came together Friday morning to honor the life of fallen Hillsborough County deputy Abigail Bieber.
The Countryside Christian Church in Clearwater was full of people, both in uniform and not, listening and recounting stories of Bieber's life and career with the sheriff's office.
A video that the deputy's coworkers made in honor of the 30-year-old's life was played during the memorial service along with a video of her work in the field, showing moments during Bieber's almost four-year career as a deputy in the county.
"Simply put, the loss of Abby has been devastating. [She] was a bright, young deputy and had she made it to this day, Feb.11, her four year work anniversary, I have no doubt she would've been pursuing other avenues within our office where she could've made an even greater difference than she already has," Chief Deputy Donna Lusczynski said
Working for law enforcement runs in the family with Bieber's two brothers working for the Clearwater Police Department.
"Abby, you were the best of us all. You were the three out of three. You were the sister Dan and I needed and the only one we've ever got and still have," her brother, Ben Bieber, said.
Her father described her as indescribably beautiful and undeniably delightful saying, "She shined with the radiance of 10,000 suns and always will."
"We will never, ever forget Abigail Rose," her father said.
In lieu of flowers for the funeral, Bieber's family asked for donations be made to one of the following, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office:
Boys and Girls Club (Hachem Foundation Club)
Sam & Laurice Hachem Foundation Club at Town ‘n Country Park
6039 Hanley Road
Tampa Florida 33634
Mary Lee's House
(813) 250-6650
2806 North Armenia Ave
Tampa, FL 33607
Maxx & Me Pet Rescue
12191 West Linebaugh Ave #554
Tampa, Florida 33626
Bieber's memorial service was open to the public and was also live-streamed on Youtube.
Watch the full funeral service below:
Deputy Bieber was found shot on Jan. 29 at a St. Augustine vacation rental home. Investigators say they believe her co-worker, a detective with whom she was romantically linked, killed her before taking his own life.
Bieber, who's been with the sheriff's office since February 2018, was frequently on calls for service related to sexual battery and child abuse, the agency said, adding that she one day wished to become a detective within the Criminal Investigations Division Special Victims Section.
10 Tampa Bay Cares: The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 800-799-7233. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211.