A massive crowd turned out in Port Coquitlam, B.C. Saturday to remember the silver-haired mother of Canadian icon Terry Fox. She died last week after years of championing her son's dream of raising funds to fight cancer.

A public funeral began at 1 p.m. at the Trinity United Church, with a secondary viewing site set up at a nearby community centre to accommodate the number of mourners.

Local and provincial politicians also turned out to pay tribute to Fox, whose efforts helped to raise more than half a billion dollars for cancer research.

"Her son planted a seed and she has just grown that vision and never given up on that," said Port Coquitlam mayor Greg Moore.

Premier Christy Clark said she was grieving the loss of Fox, who died June 17 at the age of 73, "along with every other Canadian."

Clark commended Fox as a "real hero" for turning the tragic death of her son into a triumph. "Talk about tenacious… God didn't make many people like Betty Fox."

Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong and famed wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen also attended the funeral.

Terry became a national icon in 1980 after vowing to raise money for research by running across Canada. His Marathon of Hope ended when his cancer returned and he died on June 28, 1981.

But Betty Fox kept her son's legacy alive for more than three decades by organizing runs, raising funds and playing a vital role in the creation of the Terry Fox Foundation and research institute.

She died in Chilliwack last Friday, weeks after her family announced she had fallen seriously ill. The details of her illness have not been divulged, but the family says it was not cancer.

"Betty was comfortable the last few weeks and months of her life, was always full of wit and rarely alone. Our wife and mom is now with Terry and joins other dear family members that predeceased her," the family said in a statement.

Her illness and death brought forward a wave of support from well-wishers across the country.

Rick Hansen, who crossed the globe by wheelchair to raise funds for spinal cord research, said she "made unprecedented contributions to Canada and the world."

Fox's efforts at preserving her son Terry's legacy were recognized last year when she was chosen to help carry the Olympic flag into the stadium last year during the lighting of the cauldron at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The Fox family asked that donations be made to the Terry Fox Foundation in lieu of flowers.

With files from CTV.ca and The Canadian Press