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Slain NH Journalist James Foley Honored At NH Memorial Service

ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Family and friends say slain journalist James Foley was a compassionate and capable journalist who tried to see the good in others.

Foley was abducted in Syria on Thanksgiving Day 2012 and hadn't been heard from since until a video showing his killing at the hands of Islamic State extremists was posted on the Internet in August.

James Foley
A large crowd assembled in New Hampshire during a memorial service for James Foley. (WBZ-TV)

Hundreds of people filled Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church on Saturday in Foley's hometown of Rochester, New Hampshire, during a memorial Mass on what would have been his 41st birthday. Afterward, friends paid tribute to Foley in a poignant ceremony.

One friend, Jeremy Osgood, said there were two absolutes in Foley's life: His faith and his family. Osgood said those gave him a "wealth of strength and courage."

Since his death, his family has created the James W. Foley Legacy Fund to support reporters in conflict zones and the families of American hostages as well as promote a global conversation about how governments can handle hostage crises.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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