Family, friends prepare to bid farewell to slain NYPD hero - New York Daily News

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A memorial will be held for slain Officer Rafael Ramos, 40, at Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens on Friday.

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Wenjian Liu, 32, was killed alongside Ramos. Funeral arrangements for Liu remain incomplete while relatives travel from China.

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A memorial will be held for slain Officer Rafael Ramos (left)at Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens on Friday. Wenjian Liu (right) was killed alongside Ramos, but his funeral arrangements remain incomplete while relatives travel from China.

Family, friends and fellow officers braced Friday for an emotional farewell to one of the two NYPD heroes gunned down last weekend while parked on a Brooklyn street.

An overflow crowd was expected on the day after Christmas at Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens for the wake of Officer Rafael Ramos, 40, killed alongside Officer Wenjian Liu, 32.

Ramos — the married father of two sons — was a devoted member of the church in the Glendale section for the past 14 years.

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Christie M Farriella/for New York Daily News Jaden Ramos (left), the the murdered officer's 13-year-old son leaves his home in Ridgewood, Queens, on Thursday. Christie M Farriella/for New York Daily News Family members leave Ramos' Ridgewood home on their way to his wake. Christie M Farriella/for New York Daily News The wake for Ramos will run between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., with a memorial service afterwards.

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The wake begins at 2 p.m. and runs through 7 p.m., with a memorial service to immediately follow.

Thousands of mourners were expected at the church, where Ramos' funeral was set for 10 a.m. Saturday — with Vice President Joe Biden expected to attend.

"Ralph was one of the faithful ushers who made Christ Tabernacle feel like home," said Rev. Adam Durso, the executive pastor of the church. "He loved his family and his church. He had an infectious and disarming smile."

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In addition to working as an usher, Ramos also served on the church's marriage ministry and its life group ministry.

His wife Margarita, along with 13-year-old Jaden and Bowdoin College student Justin, will lead the mourners.

Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News Ramos and Liu were gunned down as they sat in their patrol car at Tompkins Ave. and Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn on last Saturday. Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News Ronnie Gonzalez, Ramos' cousin, and his wife hold a plaque at a memorial on the street where they were killed. Marc A. Hermann/for New York Daily News Mourners embrace at the site of Ramos and Liu's deaths on Thursday.

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Ramos had only joined the NYPD in 2012 after working previously as a school security guard.

Funeral arrangements for Liu, a seven-year NYPD veteran, remained incomplete as authorities worked to arrange for relatives from China to reach New York.

Liu and Ramos were gunned down in an ambush by a bloodthirsty gunman who came to Brooklyn from Baltimore on a murderous mission to kill NYPD officers.

Online readers can donate to the Daily News fund for the slain NYPD heroes here.

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lmcshane@nydailynews.com

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