More than 200 people marched through Halifax in memory of filmmaker Helen Hill, who was gunned down in her home in New Orleans earlier this month.

"Helen was the kindest person I've ever met," said Tara Lee Wittchen, who walked through the city on Saturday afternoon.

Friends remembered the former Halifax resident with a New Orleans-style funeral procession, dressed in eclectic clothes such as ballet tutus and odd hats, playing Dixieland music and other songs including Amazing Grace.

Hill, 36, and her husband Paul Gailiunas were attacked Jan. 4 when an intruder fired shots in their home near the city's French Quarter. Gailiunas, 35, was discovered bleeding and kneeling at the front door clutching the couple's two-year-old son who was not injured. Police still don't have any suspects.

'They opened their hearts to everyone that they met.'-Tara Lee Wittchen, friend of Helen Hill and Paul Gailiunas

The two were married in 1995 and moved to New Orleans in 2001 where Gailiunas, a doctor, opened a clinic in a public housing complex.

"They opened their hearts to everyone that they met, whether you knew them for one hour or you knew them for 20 years," said Wittchen.

Hill, a native of South Carolina, arrived in Halifax intent on making films but became better known for starting Food Not Bombs, a non-profit, volunteer-run organization that provides free vegetarian meals to the local community.

The procession ended with a gathering in a church hall in Halifax's north end. Speakers recalled Hill as a warm, positive person who sought to make the world a better place.

"Lives like Helen's quietly demand our attention. They question the regular order of things," said James Covey.

Marla Cranston, a former arts journalist, said Hill and her husband were happy and devoted to each other.

"When I think about Helen, I see a lot of colour and light and mostly that smile," Cranston told the Halifax Chronicle-Herald.