At the luncheon after her funeral, people trooped to a microphone, compelled to share their Alex stories: the boy who walked home with her from middle school — being with Alex was the best part of his day, he said. The neighbor who felt low until he sat with Alex on the back steps, talking about life. The woman she met at a low point, getting high in Kensington — even then, Alex managed to look out for others, said Karla Smith-Regula, now clean six months and missing Alex like crazy.