Brian Dyck called out the federal government and Veterans Affairs in August for failing to aid former soldiers like himself who suffered from ALS. His own appeal for benefits was allowed a month later. (CBC)

More than 500 police officers filled a church in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood Wednesday morning for the funeral of one of their colleagues, Canadian Forces veteran Brian Dyck, known for his fight to get benefits for vets with Lou Gehrig's disease.

The Ottawa police officer died Friday at age 42 after battling the illness, formally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, for just over a year.

Dyck realized his death was imminent last fall and had prepared his own slideshow and poem for the funeral mass, which fellow patrolman Eli Edwards said made it all the more emotional.

"It's tough, you know, especially to see he's only been married a few years, and their daughter is just around two years old," Edwards said. "It's just hard to watch a young family lose the man of the house."

Took government to task

A veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, Dyck rose to national prominence for taking the government to task for denying health benefits to veterans with the degenerative disease.

Dyck said the United States recognizes a link between higher-than-usual rates of ALS among servicemen and women, particularly those who served in the Gulf War, and offered full disability, lifetime health and death benefits regardless of when or where they served. But Canada was still handling cases on an individual basis, he said.

"My advice to the ministry is if you are not willing to stand behind the troops, feel free to stand in front of them," Dyck had said in August at a news conference alongside Pat Stogran, Canada's outgoing ombudsman for veterans.

In February, his claim for benefits and a pension for his wife and daughter was rejected, but weeks before his death, his appeal was allowed.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper also said in a television interview in September that he had instructed officials to investigate how to address the handling of cases involving ALS and promised that there would be "action on that in the not-too-distant future."

In a statement, Ottawa Police Chief Vern White said members of the force have been moved and inspired by Dyck's courageous battle with the disease.

"We offer our deepest sympathies to Brian's wife, Natali, daughter Sophi, his family, friends and colleagues," White said in a statement. "The Ottawa police family stands by Brian’s family in this difficult time."

Dyck's wife is also a member of the Ottawa force.

The private funeral took place at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church. Police closed Fourth Avenue, Percy Street and Fifth Avenue from Chrysler Street to Bank Street during the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the ALS Society are being accepted.