Chief Supt. Douglas Coates died when the UN headquarters in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, collapsed in the earthquake on Jan. 12. (CBC)

An RCMP officer killed in Haiti was remembered Wednesday as a man who devoted his career to improving peace and security around the world.

Chief Supt. Douglas Coates, 52, died when the United Nations headquarters in Port-au-Prince collapsed during a massive earthquake on Jan. 12.

"Time and again, Doug sacrificed the comforts of home and the warmth of his family as a part of duty he took on more than three decades ago," RCMP Commissioner William Elliott said at Coates's funeral in Ottawa Wednesday.

"Throughout his career, Doug served the greater good … He worked tirelessly for the peace and security of Canadians and citizens of the world."

Chief Supt. Douglas Coates began his career as a constable in Alberta. When he died, he was the highest ranking RCMP officer in Haiti. (RCMP)

Coates, who lived in Gatineau and was based at the RCMP's national headquarters in Ottawa, had been the acting commissioner for the United Nations stabilization mission in Haiti. He was the highest ranking RCMP officer in the troubled nation.

After giving his eulogy at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica on Sussex Drive, Elliott returned Coates's badge to his family. A United Nations official also presented the family with Coates's Haiti Mission Medal.

Luc Coates, one of the fallen officer's three children, spoke about his father at the funeral.

"He always told us how proud he was of all three of his children and how lucky he was to have us in his life," Coates said. "Dad, I want you to know that we were the lucky ones to have had you in our lives.

Hundreds of police officers and members of the public turned out to honour Coates Wednesday. His casket, draped in both the Canadian flag and the blue-and-white flag of the United Nations, had been escorted to the cathedral by a police procession.

Many of the RCMP officers who took part wore both the distinctive red serge of the national police force and the blue beret of the United Nations as they saluted the fallen officer. His family was scheduled to attend a private burial at Beechwood Cemetery after the funeral.

Coates began his career as a constable in Alberta and went on to lead the RCMP's international peace operations before serving as commissioner of operations for the UN mission in Haiti.

He was one of two RCMP officers killed in the Haiti earthquake. The other was Sgt. Mark Gallagher, 50, based in Halifax, whose funeral is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

As of Wednesday, at total of 21 Canadians had been confirmed dead and 147 were still missing as a result of the earthquake.