Ann Mannix spent decades in law enforcement, but her brother says the role she cherished most was caring for her children. Mannix, a retired San Francisco police deputy chief, and her 24-year-old daughter Katherine were killed Sunday evening in their home in Strawberry, an unincorporated community in Marin County, authorities say. Her estranged husband, retired SFPD Sgt. Kevin Mannix, 68, shot the two and then himself, according to authorities. Another of the couple’s children escaped the home alive. The family is gathering this week to support one another and make funeral arrangements, said Ann’s brother Richard Corriea, a retired SFPD officer. Flowers and notes of remembrance have been left outside the home. Corriea said Ann had been navigating the end of her marriage while focusing on protecting and supporting her three adult children. He said he knew of no prior physical violence in the marriage, and that he had checked with a niece after the shooting to make sure he had not missed anything. “There was no violence, but here we end up with a catastrophic level of violence without a history of it,” Corriea said. Ann was the youngest of five children. Corriea recalled her courage as an undercover narcotics officer, including pursuing a suspect through an apartment building and onto a garage roof. Away from work, he said, she was a devoted mother whose children often trailed behind her like “little ducklings.” Katherine, known as Katie, was a second-year nursing student at the College of Marin. Her uncle described her as outspoken and independent, with a strong attachment to her family and home. She also liked visiting friends in Southern California, sometimes setting off on short notice, he said. Corriea said he and Ann had spoken nearly every day as she began planning a new chapter of her life. They had shared lunch and dinner in the weeks before her death. The family is moving between shock, tears and numbness, he said, while neighbors and friends have brought food and offered support. “I miss my sister,” Corriea said. “I’m blessed with good memories, but I’m lost for words.”