Emma MacDonald's closest friends shared stories about her life at a memorial service Tuesday, in view of where she was killed almost two weeks ago at the Hotel UMass on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
MacDonald, who was 31, worked in UMass dining services at the school. Her husband — who also worked at the school — was charged with her murder April 23.
In front of hundreds of employees and friends of MacDonald's, staff members from the Center for Women and Community also spoke, saying to those who gathered that grief is not linear and there are opportunities to remember and connect in this moment.
"... through vigils and visiting Emma's memorial [of flowers outside the hotel]; we see it in the purple lights of the fountain [on campus], Emma's favorite color," they said. "We checked in on one another. Asked, how can I help? What can I do? And we know there is still much more to do."
The center has been visible on campus since MacDonald's murder; it supports survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in Hampshire County.
The schools dining-service venues were closed for two hours Tuesday, to allow fellow employees to attend the memorial, the second on campus in the last seven days.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes were both at the event. They stood off to the side and neither spoke.
