The first health-care worker in Canada to die of SARS was was remembered at her funeral Friday as a a dedicated nurse who always had a smile for everyone.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at a downtown Toronto church to remember Nelia Laroza, who died from SARS Sunday at the age of 51. The mourners were greeted by an honour guard formed by fellow nurses. They wore black armbands and saluted as Laroza's casket arrived.

Laroza contracted SARS at the North York General Hospital, the centre of the city's second outbreak. Laroza battled the respiratory illness for six weeks before succumbing.

Her niece, Hazel Corda, remembered the nurse in her eulogy as someone who was "always smiling and saying, 'Hi honey'" to family members.

Simin Faridani was Laroza's co-worker. She also fell ill due to SARS, but recovered. She wishes Nelia was among those who pulled through.

"We're still in shock. We can't, we don't, believe that she's gone. We think this is a bad dream and we're are going to wake up one day and she will be with us."

Dr. James Young, the Ontario commissioner of public safety and security, was visibly moved by the funeral mass as he spoke to reporters outside the church.

"It's a very difficult day, it's what we don't want happening," he said, his eyes filled with tears.

Father Gerardo Bandalan told family and friends to remember Nelia as one of those who were "graced by God to the fullness of life."

Dignitaries included Ontario Premier Ernie Eves, Municipal Affairs Minister David Young and Health Minister Tony Clement. They applauded the efforts of health-care workers in controlling the SARS outbreak, which first erupted in February.

"Anyone who works day in, day out to protect the rest of us from any manner of disease, when you lose one who is acting heroically, it's a loss for everyone so we all feel it," Clement said outside St. Michael's Cathedral.

Laroza, who was originally from the Philippines, had worked as a nurse for more than two decades -- the last 13 at North York General.

Her son, Kenneth, was a student at Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy. After he showed symptoms on May 28, more than 1,500 students and staff at the school were put into quarantine.

Laroza also leaves behind a 23-year-old daughter, Grace, and her husband, Emil.

A total of 39 people have died of SARS in the Toronto area and another 20 people are still listed as active, probable cases. The Canadian city was the largest SARS hotspot outside of Asia.

The World Health Organization dropped Toronto from its SARS-affected list for a second time on Wednesday, leaving only Taiwan on the bill. It is expected to come off the list on Saturday.

Toronto struggled with two waves of SARS, otherwise known as severe acute respiratory syndrome. The first began in February with a second surprising peak in May.

The illness is believed to have started in southern China and been spread globally via air travel.

With a report from The Canadian Press