The family, friends and colleagues of independent Quebec MNA Sylvie Roy gathered in Trois-Rivieres Monday to mourn her sudden death.

Roy, who served as the MNA for rural Arthabaska, was hospitalized last month at l’Hopital Enfant-Jesus de Quebec and died of acute hepatitis on July 31 at the age of 51.

“We’re so flabbergasted to see her passing away at 51,” said National Assembly President Jacques Chagnon.

Roy left behind two children, Michel and Estelle.

The funeral for Roy was held at 4 p.m. in the Cathédrale de l'Assomption in Trois-Rivières, where she grew up.

“I think one of the reasons why she was so good at the National Assembly is because she was speaking with her heart and there was no doubt for anyone that she was speaking truly,” said PQ MNA Alexandre Cloutier.

Premier Philippe Couillard and many of her colleagues in the National Assembly attended.

"She has a mother who is losing her daughter. In the normal course of life, parents should not bury their children," he said, adding some thoughts on her political career. "She waged a tough fight. She was very tenacious, obviously, on the question of the public inquiry - the Charbonneau Commission."

Roy represented the rural riding of Arthabaska in the legislature since 2003 -- first under the Action democratique du Quebec banner, then as a member of the Coalition Avenir Quebec, then as an independent for the last year of her life.

The former lawyer had been described as one of the first and strongest voices in favour of a public inquiry into corruption in Quebec's construction industry.

The inquiry was launched in 2011 and led to a number of reforms regarding political donations and the awarding of public contracts.

Mario Dumont, ex-leader of the ADQ who first recruited Roy to politics, said "to the members of the legislature of all political parties, your presence here confirms your appreciation for a woman who gave a lot."

Visibly shaken, CAQ MNA Francois Bonnardel, who worked closely with Roy back when they were both members of the ADQ, recalled an authentic woman who was close to her constituents.

"She had good political instincts. But a good political instinct is not a gift - you work for that. You feel that. You feel the people because you're close to them," added Conservative MP Gerard Deltell, who once served as ADQ leader.

Although Roy left the CAQ in a rift with leader Francois Legault, he said he held on to many good memories, adding that he was especially sorry for Roy’s two children who have lost their mother.

"It's terrible for the two children and we think about them. It's a kind of lesson for us. We see that life is very fragile," he said.

With files from The Canadian Press