Jim Prentice, the former federal cabinet minister and former Alberta premier, was remembered as a skilled politician, loving family man and dedicated public servant during a state memorial in Calgary.

(Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press)

Family, friends, political and business colleagues, and the general public gathered at the Jubilee Auditorium.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper says Prentice was a ”dedicated, knowledgeable and respected” politician but above all a family man.

Speaking directly to Prentice’s widow and three daughters, Harper added ”We’ve lost a colleague and a friend, you’ve lost so much more.”

The former prime minister went on to say Prentice was so capable that he was often given the toughest jobs.

Prentice and three other men died when a twin-engine Cessna Citation crashed soon after takeoff from Kelowna October 13.