Around 900 people packed into a church in Ottawa on Saturday in honour of Paul Dewar, who died earlier this month from brain cancer at the age of 56.

Dewar, a social activist and teacher, served as the New Democratic Party MP for Ottawa Centre from 2006 to 2015. He spent much of that time as the party’s well-respected foreign affairs critic.

Dewar’s son, Nathaniel Sneyd-Dewar, told the funeral gathering that his father was best known as a friend, teacher and politician, but “was also a music historian, sports everyman and radio actor.”

Jordan Sneyd-Dewar, the late MP’s other son, said his father’s “everyday actions blossomed into the most meaningful lessons for me.”

“One of the most important lessons he taught me was how to love,” he said.

Dewar’s widow, Julia Sneyd, said her husband lived a full life.

“You will always be my bubble of joy,” she said.

The three family members stood together to quote Dewar. “Smile and play, laugh and dance, give and share,” they said, echoing words he wrote in a goodbye message posted to Facebook.

“In my time on this earth, I was passionate about the power of citizens working together and making a difference,” Dewar had written.

“I wanted a Canada where we treat our fellow citizens with the dignity, love and respect that every one of us deserves,” he had added. “I wanted a world where we reduced suffering and increased happiness. A world where we took better care of each other.”

Dewar went on to say that “true change can only come when power is transferred to young people unburdened by cynicism. That’s why I used what energy I had left this year to create Youth Action Now.”

At Saturday’s funeral service, members of the Youth Action Now charity paid tribute to Dewar by singing Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.”

Youth Action Now provides start-up funding and micro-grants to youth-led initiatives. Since launching, more than $250,000 has been raised.