A devastating loss followed Conservative MP Harold Albrecht's re-election win with the sudden death of his wife Betty on Wednesday.

She collapsed at home Monday night, just as the couple was preparing to leave for Albrecht's victory party. He won his seat in Kitchener-Conestoga in southwestern Ontario by 17,000 votes. They never made it to the celebration.

Betty Albrecht died at Hamilton General Hospital on Wednesday as a result of a spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage, according to a statement from the MP's office. She was 59.

"The family appreciates all the prayers and good wishes that have been extended, but at this time needs some quiet time to heal in privacy," the statement said.

Albrecht's friends and colleagues on Parliament Hill and in his community of Wilmot Township are expressing their condolences.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office issued a statement Thursday saying "it was with great sadness" that he learned of the unexpected death.

'She has made Canada a better country and enriched my life in incredible ways.'—Conservative MP Harold Albrecht

"Betty was everything Harold had described: kind, caring and generous in her spirit. The prime minister and his family offer their deepest condolences to Harold and his family as they grieve her passing," the statement said.

Harper will be attending the funeral, which is taking place Sunday in Kitchener.

"My wife, Valerie, and I were deeply saddened to learn that our dear friend Betty Albrecht, beloved wife of MP Harold Albrecht, passed away earlier today," Conservative MP Gary Goodyear said in a statement Wednesday.

"Betty always put others first and was a source of joy to everyone who knew her. She touched our hearts and we will miss her greatly," said Goodyear, the MP in Cambridge-North Dumfries.

The mayor of Wilmot Township, Les Armstrong, described her as a warm, friendly and outgoing woman and spoke about how close she and her husband were.

'She was Harold's rock'

"I know that she was Harold's rock that helped to keep him going. He's like an Energizer bunny on his own but I think she was his battery," Armstrong said in an interview with CBC News.

He last saw Betty on Saturday at a local charity event. She was dropping off a pie she had baked for it and they chatted about the campaign that was in its final days and would soon bring a decisive victory for her husband and his party.

Armstrong said when he would see Albrecht and his wife at local events, they were often walking hand-in-hand.

"She was such a close friend and confidante of his," he said.

The couple both grew up in the Wilmot area and were very active in the community even before Albrecht got involved in federal politics. He was a school board trustee and founding member of a local church and worked as a dentist before becoming a member of parliament in 2006.

One day in the House of Commons in 2008, Albrecht used the time provided ahead of question period for MPs' statements to pay a special tribute to his wife. It was Valentine's Day.

"While the list of those who have influenced my life and encouraged me along my journey is a long one, there is one to whom I am most indebted and who deserves great thanks on this very special day — my wife Betty," Albrecht said.

The MP said that since their university days together, "her support has always been there 100 per cent," and he described her devotion to their three children as "priceless."

"I will never be able to thank Betty for her faithful commitment over the past 36 years, but today I want her to know how deeply she is loved. I am grateful that God has blessed my life with her as my best friend and wife. She has made Canada a better country and enriched my life in incredible ways," he said.