Family, friends and artists showed up at the National Gallery Thursday to remember Shirley Thomson, who died Aug. 11. (Martin Lipman/Canadian Press)

Several hundred people gathered in the National Gallery's great hall Thursday to celebrate the life of Shirley Thomson who died Aug. 10 at the age of 80.

Thomson spent a decade at the helm of the gallery - from 1987 to 1997-- and also led the Canada Council for the Arts from 1998 to 2002.

Under the glass ceiling of the gallery, artists, curators, friends and family shared laughs and tears over recollections of Thomson's warmth, her sharp mind — and her hair, which always managed to stay up in its signature bun.

Friends called the blacksmith's daughter a superb arts manager, one of the gallery's best-loved directors, and an advocate for all artists.

Among the many artists she supported was Paul Wong. "I was always shocked and surprised that she wanted to know more and more and more, because … a lot of people, they're interested in a minute, and move on to the next thing. But she had an insatiable curiosity, certainly in the field that I work in -- the media arts," Wong said

Thomson's brother, John Cull, said she saw artists as visionaries, "the conduits to the nation's psyche."

During one of their talks, he said, he asked her about her legacy -- all the speeches, honorary degrees, and important positions.

"How did she want this rich and varied life summed up?" he wondered.

Cull said he sketched a simple tombstone for her, and left blanks for her to fill in.

Recently, going through Thomson's papers, he found the drawing.

"Shirley had filled in one of the blank lines and the epitaph now reads: Here lies Shirley Thomson. Who. Helped."