About 1,000 mourners filled a Montreal church on Wednesday for the funeral of a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Friends, family and colleagues remembered Cpl. Jason Patrick Warren as a loyal and passionate soldier.

"You will always remain in our hearts, never to be forgotten," Warren's father Gerry said during the funeral.

Lt.-Col. Thomas MacKay said he admired Warren's "dedication, his professionalism as a soldier but also his sense of humour. This was a good man, he liked to laugh a lot, he liked to poke fun."

Warren and Cpl. Francisco Gomez were killed on July 22 when a suicide bomber blew up his vehicle beside the armoured vehicle that Gomez was driving near the coalition base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Eight others, including one Canadian, were injured in the attack.

Other soldiers said Warren's death inspired them to continue fighting.

"It definitely reinforced our loyalty and especially our passion towards the job and want to go out and do another mission," said Master Cpl. Mathew Snodden.

Silver Cross presented to mother

Quebec Lt.-Gov. Lise Thibault presented Warren's mother Debbie with the Silver Cross before the funeral. Warren, a 29-year-old reservist, was the first member of Black Watch regiment, one of the oldest in Canada, to die in combat since 1970.

Warren, who wasn't married, was set to return home from a six-month deployment in August. Warren earlier served in Bosnia in 2002.

On Tuesday, a private service was held for Gomez in south Edmonton.

Gomez, a 23-year veteran of the military, had served in Bosnia, Somalia and Cyprus. He also was due to return from Afghanistan at the end of August.

An interment ceremony for both Gomez and Warren will be held on Thursday at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa.

The deaths of the two soldiers bring Canada's toll in Afghanistan since 2002 to 19. One diplomat has been killed as well.

About 2,200 Canadian soldiers are based in Kandahar. Another 100 are in other parts of the country.

With files from the Canadian Press