Const. Harvey (Harvinder) Dhami’s wife, brother and mother were among the loved ones to speak at his regimental funeral in Sherwood Park on Thursday.
Dhami was remembered as “an exceptional man,” who always put others ahead of himself, was compassionate and kind.
“My brother was an inspiration to many people, including myself,” said Const. Gurvinder Dhami, who also works in law enforcement as an officer with the Peel Regional Police in Ontario.
“He was a man of action who never shied away from a challenge,” Gurvinder said.
“He was a man of empathy… He had a gift for making people feel seen, heard and valued.
“My brother may have lived a short life but he lived a large life. He left a lasting mark on this world and his legacy will continue to inspire us all to be better, kinder and more selfless individuals.”
Harvinder died on April 10 on Township Road 540 in Strathcona County, near the northeast edge of Edmonton.
He was en route to a noise complaint call overnight, answering a request for backup, when his vehicle hit a concrete barrier.
His wife said Harvinder was always serving others and did so until his last breath.
“He was one of a kind because even today, he’d want me to talk about you – the people who so enriched his life and gave him the opportunity to spread his love and friendship,” Ravinder Dhami-Randhawa said.
The couple met 12 years ago. At that time, he was just determined, confident and funny, she said.
“Harv had so much more to give.
“Harv, you will always be the love of my life, my best friend, soul mate and everything more. Not a day will go by that I won’t think of you. Thank you for showing me what it means to be loved, cared for and valued.
“It was an absolute honour being your wife,” Ravinder Dhami-Randhawa said. “I love you… until we meet again.”
Colleague and friend Const. Henry Galvez Rodriguez completed his RCMP training with Harvinder. When they were both posted to K Division in Alberta, their friendship deepened.
“There’s no one I trusted more than Dhami,” Galvez Rodriguez said.
“Dhami was the most selfless person I ever met… He was the first person on the radio and the first person to run (in) when you needed help.
“Dhami was a hero by every definition there is,” he said.
Rodriguez characterized Dhami as a “kind soul” and someone who tried to improve the day of those around him.
“Rest easy, my brother, we’ll take it from here.”
The funeral service was preceded by a regimental procession through Sherwood Park.
Alberta RCMP members and first responders marched with pipes and drums from Bethel Lutheran Church at 298 Bethel Drive north along Bethel Way, then west on Lakeland Drive to Premier Way and inside Millennium Place.
There were about 750 police members in the procession.
Dhami’s funeral came just three weeks after he also marched in the funeral procession through downtown Edmonton for EPS constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan, the RCMP confirmed.
RCMP members from across Canada participated, including members from Peel Regional Police, where Dhami used to work as a special constable.
Members of the public also gathered roadside along the two-kilometre route to pay their respects.
The RCMP said Dhami came from a family of community service workers. His cousin is also a police officer and his sister is a health services worker.
Outside of his work as an officer, police said Dhami volunteered in several ways, from serving meals to the elderly to educating people on victim services supports.
Dhami was a big supporter of the Meals on Wheels program, police said, adding the family has asked, in lieu of flowers or other donations, for the members of the public to support their local Meals on Wheels program.
The National Police Federation Benevolent Foundation, whose sole purpose is to help families of fallen members going through tragedy, has set up a GoFundMe for Const. Dhami with all of the proceeds going to the Dhami family.
With files from Karen Bartko, Global News