MONTREAL - For most people, Tony Proudfoot was an inspiration -- a fierce athletic competitor who waged a courageous battle against a crippling disease.
But the former CFL all-star was something more to the members of his close-knit family who gathered for his funeral on Wednesday.
"He's our brother and our brother-in-law and he's a son and a family member," said Rick Morgan, Proudfoot's brother-in-law. "We're just a close family."
John (Tony) Proudfoot died Dec. 29 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal, degenerative illness more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
The native of Winnipeg, who later moved to Montreal, was 61.
Although the athlete, broadcaster and teacher was outspoken about his devastating disease, his family decided to keep his final farewell for themselves and their friends, asking media to wait outside the church.
The private service came after about 600 people paid their respects at a local funeral home a day earlier.
Around 900 people attended the funeral, packing Cedar Park United Church in suburban Pointe-Claire.
Proudfoot's wife Vicki and grown children Michael, Lindsay and Lauren, as well as other relatives, entered the church to the strains of "Amazing Grace" being played by a bagpiper.
Some of the music, including "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "House of the Rising Sun," could be heard wafting out of the ceremony.
Morgan said Proudfoot would be pleased to see the attention his death generated -- not out of ego -- but because it would raise awareness about the disease he laboured to raise research funding to help fight.
"He would be very happy to see this happening," Morgan added, noting that about $50,000 has been raised for ALS research since the Dec. 15 publication of Proudfoot's last article in the Montreal Gazette chronicling his disease.
While his family saw his mischievous side, Proudfoot was known as an aggressive, yet cerebral, defender who wouldn't back down from a challenge on the football field.
But his courage extended far beyond the gridiron.
In September 2006, he braved a gunman's rampage to save a student's life at Dawson College, where he taught for 30 years. After being diagnosed with ALS in May 2007, he stared down the disease that would eventually claim him.
Proudfoot refused to sit in the shadows as his health -- including his ability to breathe and speak -- quickly faded.
Instead, he mounted a public battle through the Tony Proudfoot Fund, which has raised more than $500,000 for ALS research and patients' families.
Proudfoot starred at defensive back for the Montreal Alouettes and B.C. Lions over 12 seasons, earning a spot on CFL all-star teams in 1977 and 1979.
He helped the Als win Grey Cups in 1974 and 1977, becoming a CFL legend when he popped staples into the soles of his shoes before the 1977 game to improve his traction on the icy Olympic Stadium turf.
It was a day remembered warmly by former teammate Larry Smith, who played alongside Proudfoot for most of his own career.
"It's always going to be the 1977 Grey Cup with the staples -- when Tony put the staples in the boots," Smith said, recalling his fondest memory before entering the service.
"The guns went off, all you could hear was, 'tattattattat,' in the locker room. It was an amazing experience."
Although the Conservative senator said it was a sad day, Smith said Proudfoot leaves behind a rich legacy of community service and inspiration, particularly to generations of Alouettes players.
That was echoed by Matthieu Proulx, a current player for the Alouettes, who said it was a tough day for him.
"Tony was a good friend of mine," Proulx said, noting he and Proudfoot played the same position. He remembered when Proudfoot came to the Als training camp and the two men talked football.
"You could see through his passion, through his words -- he just gave you courage," Proulx said. "He was just a true inspiration for me.
"You think about your little knee injury or ankle injury and you see what Tony went through, it just put things in perspective. I'm really thankful for what Tony did for me. He was a great teacher both on and off the field."
