The plane crash that killed former Alberta premier Jim Prentice Thursday night also claimed the life of his daughter’s father-in-law, Dr. Ken Gellatly, Calgary businessman Sheldon Reid and their pilot, whose identity has not been released.
READ MORE: Jim Prentice, 60, dies in Kelowna plane crash
A statement issued on behalf of Prentice’s family called Gellatly “a very special man.”
“To lose two family members at once is unbelievably painful,” the statement said. “We are also thinking of the other families who have been affected by this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Watch below: Global’s coverage of a plane crash that killed 4 people in BC Thursday night
Gellatly was an optometrist at well-known Calgary eye care office, Downtown Vision.
He received his doctor of optometry degree from the University of Waterloo and his Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) in 1988, according to his Downtown Vision biography.
“He has presented research papers to the American Academy of Optometry and the British Contact Lens Association,” said the website, noting he was a part-time faculty member to the Vision Care Institute, which teaches contact lens practice to new graduates from across Canada and the U.S.
READ MORE: Condolences pour in following former Alberta premier Jim Prentice’s death
Colleagues said Gellatly and Prentice went to Kelowna to golf and have dinner with friends before boarding the plane to return home.
Global News has learned retired businessman Sheldon Reid was another victim in the plane crash.
Reid, 60, is remembered by his nephew as a proud graduate of the University of Saskatchewan’s class of 1980, “where he met many of the friends he would have throughout his life in Calgary.”
“During his business career in Calgary, Sheldon worked in executive roles for companies including Norcen Energy, Cell-Loc Inc. and Capitol Energy Resources from the 1980s through the 2000s,” nephew Paul Reid wrote in a statement to Global News.
He was remembered as a man of generosity for his family, loved ones and the Calgary community.
“Sheldon was an avid golfer, investor and business enthusiast. He travelled extensively for his work and enjoyed telling stories from his times in the international business community, whether in China, Brazil, South Korea and South Africa.
“Sheldon was most proud of Dylan James Sheldon Reid, his only son and a man whose passion Sheldon tried to imitate throughout his life as a father. He will be fondly remembered for his smile, his laugh, and the depth of his care and compassion for those he loved.”
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) said the Cessna Citation jet departed Kelowna International Airport Thursday night, but disappeared from radar at 10:07 p.m.
The wreckage was found a few hours later north of Kelowna.
“There was catastrophic damage at the crash site,” Cpl. Dan Moskaluk, spokesperson for the RCMP in B.C.’s Southeast District said in a release. The flight was destined for Calgary’s Springbank airport.
With files from Global’s Jayme Doll