The beloved Queens soldier killed in an overseas Iranian attack was remembered as a courageous leader with “a laugh that could heal your soul” — as her tearful mom declared her “a real hero” at her funeral Friday.
Throngs of mourners flooded the Calvary Assembly of God in Ozone Park to honor the life of Sgt. Angel “Sarah” Rampersad, 28, as her heartbroken loved ones said their final goodbyes.
“My daughter was a real hero and I will miss her dearly,” Rampersad’s mother, Carol Acevedo, said between gut-wrenching sobs.
“Love your kids. … Embrace them, cherish them and be there for them,” she told the church crowd of hundreds. “I don’t have my Sarah anymore.”
Friends giving eulogies described the young soldier as a selfless and adventurous champion of underdogs, who had a playful sarcastic sense of humor.
“She showed up for the people she loved and never expected anything in return,” said youth group friend Kimberly Ann. “She made a lot of people feel like they belong.”
She added, “Sarah was crazy in the best way — endlessly adventurous and completely relentless. She told me, ‘Do what you have to but just make sure you’re having fun.’”
In another emotional speech, a friend called her, “A fallen soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice with pride.”
“She had a laugh that could heal your soul,” the friend said. “We will continue to feel your warmth in the sun and see your smile in the stars.”
During the funeral, devastated family members, neighbors and fellow soldiers brushed away tears while the Rampersad’s favorite gospel songs loudly echoed through the church.
An NYPD-flanked motorcade spanning several blocks, meanwhile, commemorated her death on Long Island, where she was buried.
“She could talk to people in her rank, above her rank, and they would accept it since it was the way she did it,” Daisy Davis-Credle, president of the Queens Sunday School Association, told The Post after the funeral.
“It’s not what you do, it’s how you do what you do. And she knew how to do that — they listened to her.”
The Ozone Park native was one of three US soldiers reportedly killed July 17 when Iranians rained missiles on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Rampersad was given a hero’s sendoff before she was buried at the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale. NYPD cops in uniform carried her coffin out of the church and into a hearse, while a police procession lined the Queens streets and saluted the fallen soldier.
“It was a fantastic celebration of life,” said Alphonse Ranni, a Vietnam War veteran and member of Chapter 32 of Vietnam Veterans of America.
“She was very loved. She was well-known in her neighborhood, very respected.”
Ranni — who earned two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts for his service — said his group was just one of several that made sure to pay their respects to the fallen hero.
“Our organization’s motto is that one generation of veterans will never abandon another. And that’s what we do. … This was a situation where this could have happened to any of us,” Ranni said.
Even strangers peppered amongst the crowd paid their respects, telling The Post they felt encouraged to show up for the slain soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“She served as a hero. She died as a hero,” one attendee, who declined to share her name, said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards briefly spoke at the church service, but made no mention of politics in their remarks.
Notably absent was Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who attended the funeral but was not asked to speak, attendees told The Post.
Instead, he released a statement commending her “remarkable character.”
“My heart aches for the many family and friends here today who carry the weight of this loss,” Mamdani said.
The young soldier was one of three killed in action earlier this month, along with Army First Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas.
Rampersad — a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice — joined the Army, following in the footsteps of her uncle.
She was assigned to the Germany-based 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command — and had previously served at a base in Hawaii, where she conducted radio work.
