Friends say that once Katherine Ibanez knew a person's name, they were friends with her for life.

"She was such a genuine and compassionate person," said Lindsay Gager, Ibanez's roommate.

Friends, faculty and staff gathered yesterday at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center to say a final goodbye to Ibanez, who died Friday after falling down an elevator shaft in Atherton Hall. About 150 people attended the memorial service.

"I considered Kathy more than a girlfriend -- she was my best friend," said Ibanez's boyfriend Ben Holland in a statement read by a friend. "I will never forget how kind she was to me."

Holland could not attend because he was in West Palm Beach, Fla., with Ibanez's family.

Ibanez had a poster with the quote, "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow," and this is how she lived, Holland's statement said.

Throughout the service, friends shared stories and comforted each other on their loss.

Christina Magdits (junior-marketing), Ibanez's freshman year roommate, recalled the first time the two met.

"When I first met her, she gave me a big warm hug," Magdits said. "She was anxious to be at Penn State and to begin her college career."

Ibanez came to Penn State from West Palm Beach three years ago, but made it a priority to keep in touch with her family.

"Friends and family were very important to Kathy," Gager said. "She talked to her mom on the phone every day."

The Rev. Stephen Honeygosky of the Catholic Campus Ministry led the service and spoke about Ibanez's goals.

"Kathy had an open heart," Honeygosky said. "She believed that everybody should have a chance. She wanted to make life easier for everyone."

Honeygosky said he and a group of Ibanez's friends met Monday to discuss plans for the service. The group decided to use two songs during the service to commemorate their friend: "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" by Boyz II Men and "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion.

This year Ibanez served as vice president of the Society for Human Resources Management. The group's adviser, Carolyn Fisher, talked about working with her.

"There are few students who stand out and few students who make a difference," Fisher said. "Kathy was one of them."

Fisher added that Ibanez wanted to work in the human resources field to help minority students.

"Kathy was always wanting to do things for other people," she said.

Undergraduate Student Government President Ian Rosenberger spoke on behalf of all Penn State students at the beginning of the service.

"This weekend, Penn State lost a piece of its soul," Rosenberger said. "No words can explain what it's like to have a piece of you torn away."

Most of all, friends say they will miss Kathy's smile and exuberant personality.

"She didn't have a temper or a mean bone in her body," Gager said.

There will be a Catholic Mass in Ibanez's name at 9 p.m. Sunday at Eisenhower Chapel.