Rob Ford's 10-year-old daughter Stephanie told the thousands of people watching her father's funeral Wednesday that she knows her dad is in a better place now as "the mayor of heaven."

The little girl was among several people who spoke about the long-time politician at his funeral at St. James Cathedral.

The church was packed to capacity for the service with thousands of others watching the proceedings in three tents set up outside.

“My dad was a great mayor. He helped a lot of people but he was also an amazing dad. He was so happy whenever he was with us,” Stephanie Ford said, as she stood beside her brother Dougie and her mother Renata. “He would buy us the best toys and take us amazing places but what matters is that we were happy together.”

The crowd inside St. James Cathedral on Wednesday included a long list of dignitaries from Premier Kathleen Wynne, to Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Mayor John Tory and former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion.

Former members of the Don Bosco Eagles football team were also in attendance.

Following the service the players solemnly stood hand-in-hand outside the church as their former coach’s casket was carried to an awaiting hearse.

“He was honestly a blessing,” Former Eagles player Clinton Leonard told mourners during the service. “He showed us right from wrong and put us on the right path.”

Thousands marched in procession

The service began shortly after 12 p.m. after Ford’s family and thousands of members of the public marched from city hall to the cathedral on King Street.

Former Premier Mike Harris was the first to speak, telling those in attendance that Ford was “synonymous with Toronto” and someone whose “blunt talk and no nonsense approach” to civic life inspired many Torontonians.

Doug Ford then took the stage.

Fighting off tears, the former city councillor and one time mayoral candidate said his late brother “truly believed he was the mayor of Canada” and would stop at nothing to help his fellow man

To hammer that point home, Ford told mourners about one occasion when Rob offered to deliver sub sandwiches for the owner of a Rexdale Mr. Sub franchise, who was without his regular delivery driver, and came away with a $3 tip and a few more votes.

“You can just imagine what the people were thinking when you have the mayor of Toronto delivering them a sub at 10 p.m. at night,” Ford said, to laughter. “I said ‘Rob, you are the mayor of Toronto. You can’t be delivering subs.’ He said ‘I met four new voters and have them as supporters now and the best part is I got a $3 tip.’ That is classic Rob. I have never met anyway so principled.”

Mourners line downtown streets

Prior to the funeral, a large crowd gathered outside city hall and sang “One Love” and “You are my Sunshine” in between chants of “Rob for the people” and “best mayor ever.”

Before climbing into a waiting limousine, Ford's widow, Renata, blew kisses to huge cheers and applause from the waiting crowd.

People then lined Queen Street as Ford's family passed by with some people chanting "best mayor ever" and others carrying miniature flags that were printed with the same message and handed out to onlookers outside city hall.

One man who was holding a sign bearing the words “RIP Rob Ford, gone but not forgotten” told CP24.com outside St. James Cathedral that the late mayor was truly “one in a million.”

“He was something else. He was a real people person. He tried to understand everybody,” Jeff Walcott, who lives in North York, said. “I don’t think there is going to be another guy like that.”

Another man, who said he worked in Ford’s campaign office during the recent mayoral election, said Ford changed many people’s minds about politicians.

“My dad was an Archie Bunker type. He hated politicians but he loved Ford,” Kenny Neville said. “He represented the people.”

Ford described as the ‘face of the community’

While Torontonians continue to dissect Ford’s complicated political legacy, most of those who marched in the procession or gathered outside the cathedral on Wednesday were more interested in discussing who he was as a person.

One man who lives in Ford’s Etobicoke North ward told CP24.com that former mayor was the “face of the community” and someone who had an innate ability to make the downtrodden feel that better days are ahead.

“In Ward 2 we have a lot of poverty, a lot of drug problems, a lot of unemployment problems. Rob gave people hope,” Danny Moritty said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mayor Tory told reporters outside city hall that the community felt a "connection" with Ford.

"I think they feel a real connection to the city and to their community and its leaders and I think they are grateful to people who serve in public life," he said. "I think we are seeing a lot of that today and I hope that has been of comfort to the family because that’s what you need at a time you lose a young one, especially so young."

Ford’s funeral lasted for a little over an hour.

When his casket was carried outside following the ceremony, many members of the crowd yelled “Bye Rob.” A large eruption of applause then followed when the hearse carrying the casket slowly drove away.

After a private burial, a public celebration of Ford’s life will be held at the Toronto Congress Centre tonight, beginning at 6:30 p.m.