Friends, family and dignitaries gathered in Calgary on Friday to attend the state memorial for former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice.

Prentice was killed along with optometrist Ken Gellatly, businessman Sheldon Reid and former Mountie Jim Kruk when their Cessna Citation crashed shortly after it took off from Kelowna International Airport on October 13.

Jim Prentice was Alberta’s 16th premier and a distinguished member of the federal government, serving in former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet in a number of roles.

At one point, Harper called him the ‘chief operating officer’ of the Government of Canada.

Prentice is being remembered by friends and political opponents across the country as generous, compassionate and genuine.

Premier Rachel Notley called him a ‘gracious statesman’ who provided her with valuable advice when she first took office.

Flags have been lowered to half-mast at buildings across the province and thousands of people have signed books of condolence in Calgary, Edmonton and online.

Friday’s memorial service began at 11:00 a.m. at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary.

The service opened with the national anthem and a procession from the Calgary Police Service Pipe Band. The memorial  also included an Aboriginal Honour Song from the Black Otter Singers.

A number of past and present political figures spoke at the service including; Lois Mitchell, Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor, Premier Rachel Notley, former MP Chuck Strahl, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former MP Jay Hill.

"We gave the hardest assignments to the people who could best handle them, and Jim was always one of those people," said Harper. "He always gave Canada and Alberta his very best. That is how is deserves to be remembered."

Prentice’s daughter Cassia shared memories of her father. She is also the daughter-in-law of Dr. Ken Gellatly, one of the other victims of the plane crash.

"My father was so much to so many and he was absolutely everything to our family," she said.

She said Prentice was a doting father, treasured his grandchildren and loved his wife, Karen, deeply.

"I am still not ready to say goodbye to my father, to our bedrock. But because my father cared so deeply about this country, this province and the people in it, we know that we do not grieve alone."

The cause of the crash is still under investigation and the TSB says it could take up to a year to complete.