The former chair of the NCC, Marcel Beaudry was laid to rest this afternoon at a service that featured a tribute by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
Hundreds of people packed into the St. Joseph church in Gatineau to say goodbye to Beaudry.
"For ten years I worked with him, and he was very decisive, no nonsense, direct and a lot of fun," said former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
"He was the best story-teller around town," he added. "I could not repeat (the stories) in church, obviously because some were a bit spicy," he laughed.
Beaudry ran the National Capital Commission from 1992 to 2006, making him the longest serving chair of the federal commission.
He is credited with overseeing several projects during his time in the position, including the Canadian War Museum and the rennovation of the Champlain Bridge.
Beaudry was married for 48 years when his wife passed away in 2006.
At Beaudry's funeral, his family and friends spoke of his sense of humour, and the values and ethics he imparted on his four children.
"He was fair, and he was always ready to give us some advice," said Beaudry's oldest son, Jean-Luc. "He was very funny, his sense of humour was always pervasive throughout his life."
He was also known as a talented pianist.
"He was fun to have at parties...you would ask him to play any song in French or English and he would start to play it," Chretien said.
Chretien referred to Beaudry as "the gentleman of the Outaouais."
"He was a great guy, it’s a great loss," he said. "He’s gone much too fast."
Beaudry, 79, died on Nov. 23 of cancer.
With files from CTV's Claudia Cautillo
