TORONTO, Ont. – A transit worker who was killed on the job was remembered on Wednesday by family, friends and colleagues for his work ethic and infectious smile.

Peter Pavlovski, 49, died on Sept. 14 after being struck by a service car while working on a subway track north of Yorkdale station around 4:45 a.m.

Scores of family, friends and transit workers gathered to pay tribute to the married father of three at a Macedonian Orthodox church in North York. He had just celebrated his 20th wedding anniversary the week before his death.

“The guy always had a smile on his face, always pleased to see you,” a co-worker told CityNews.

“If you needed something, he helped you out,” he said.

Service on all TTC vehicles was halted for one minute Wednesday morning in sync with the funeral service in memory of the 22-year TTC veteran.

Pavlovski’s niece told the church that her uncle was “someone you could look up to every day.”

“We always knew that he was loyal, a very loyal, dedicated family man that worked extremely hard and had that Pavlovski work ethic at everything he did,” Melanie Pavlovski said.

Through tears she recalled her uncle’s “distinct and contagious smile.”

Transit workers, some still in uniform, came in droves to pay their final respects to their colleague.

“The way he died was just unfair, dying so young,” Derek Borg, who was his partner for a year said.

CEO Andy Byford said Pavlovski was well-liked.

“There’s a real sense of trauma, a real sense of shock, but I think today will translate really into a sense of pride that we knew him and that we loved him,” he said.

Pavlovski was supervising a crew of seven workers when he was struck by the southbound service car.

A second man was also hit but sustained minor injuries.

Toronto police, the Ontario Ministry of Labour and the transit commission have all launched investigations into the incident.