Most of them had never met the big-hearted young guy with the Superman tattoo on his arm, but that didn't matter. Cops from every corner of Colorado knew him as one of their own.

A sea of blue uniforms filled Lifebridge Christian Church in Longmont and spilled out into the foyer as officers came together Friday to honor State Trooper Zachariah Templeton, who died doing his job, just as any of them could, any day, any time.

"Every day, there's a risk of death, because they put themselves in harm's way in so many different respects," Gov. Bill Ritter told the crowd. "We very much appreciate that (Zach) died in this noble service."

Ritter was at the hospital with Templeton's family a week ago, just before the 27-year-old trooper died from injuries sustained when he was accidentally hit by a pickup while assisting a driver on I-76 on Oct. 11.

"He put his life at risk to help a motorist he didn't even know," said his younger brother, Levi Templeton.

Fun-loving and fiercely loyal, passionate about family and football, Zach Templeton was a dedicated officer and father whose greatest joy was his 3-year-old daughter, Samantha Rose, said those who knew him.

Photos flashed up on the screen during the service, a series of moments in Templeton's brief life: Zach as a baby, Zach in a football uniform, Zach mugging for the camera with a cigar in his mouth, Zach cradling his newborn daughter, Samantha.

"Wherever Zach was, someone was laughing," said his boss, State Patrol Sgt. Wayne Sanderlin. "Making Samantha laugh was his greatest pleasure."

Levi Templeton described his older brother as a "loving man with a side order of cockiness," who had a competitive, tough-guy exterior but really cared deeply about what others thought of him, particularly their father, Doug.

"I always looked up to him," his brother said. "He was determined, and he always seemed to know exactly what he wanted."

Templeton was the 24th Colorado State Patrol officer to die in the line of duty since 1941. His partner, Trooper Scott Hinshaw, 38, attended the service in a wheelchair; he's recovering from multiple leg fractures sustained in the accident.

Hinshaw was on his way home to celebrate his 15th wedding anniversary when he and Templeton stopped to help a driver who had lost a plastic farm chemical tank off the back of a flatbed trailer.

The officers were in the median when a pickup driven by a 17-year-old drifted off the highway and hit them. Master Trooper Ron Watkins has said he expects charges will be filed against the driver.

State Patrol Col. Mark Trostel said Templeton's name will be inscribed on a wall at the Colorado State Patrol headquarters honoring its fallen officers, as well as state and national memorials.

But what his fellow officers will remember, Sanderlin said, is a young trooper with a huge heart.

"You didn't have to ask for Zach's help," he said. "You just got it."