Toronto van attack victims include woman with 'generous heart,' young chef, beloved grandmother

A young investment banker remembered as someone who “loved to help volunteer,” a single mother from Sri Lanka and a great-grandmother known for her affinity for Toronto sports are just a few of the victims tragically killed in the April 23 attack in Toronto.

At least 10 people died and several others were injured after a suspect mowed down pedestrians in Canada’s largest city with a rented van.

The 25-year-old suspect was taken into custody shortly after the incident, which police are still investigating.

Here’s a look at the lives lost.

Anne Marie D’Amico

Anne Marie D'Amico was remembered by friends and a family as a person who had a “generous heart and always did big things for people.” (Facebook)

Anne Marie D’Amico, 30, was employed at the investment management firm Invesco, the company told CBC News. Invesco has offices near where the incident occured.

She also worked with Tennis Canada and the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto.

“Awful news pours in when you work at a news station, but this is the first to hit home,” Danielle Michaud, a sports anchor for City News, said on Twitter. “My [Tennis Canada] family lost one of its brightest lights [and] biggest hearts in Anne Marie D’Amico. I’m devastated for her family … a big, loving, tight-knit group. No words for this tragedy.”

Her family told CBC News she had a “generous heart and always did big things for people.”

“She wouldn’t stop until she went the extra mile for others,” her family said. “She genuinely wanted to care for all those around her even if it meant sacrificing a portion of herself in return for others’ happiness. She only had kindness in her.”

“Her name has been broadcast around the world, attached to this terrible tragedy. But we want everyone to know that she embodied the definition of altruism,” the statement continued. “It comforts us knowing that the world has a chance to know her and we hope that in this time, people fight with the same altruism rather than anger and hatred.”

In a Facebook tribute, friend Brodie MacDonald wrote that he was “so angry at the world today.”

“I am so sorry that this happened to you and as tears roll down my face thinking about the incredible person that you were, please know that you made a difference in so many peoples’ lives,” MacDonald wrote. “You were a rock, a champion, a soldier, a nurturer, a friend in Dominican … You were what we all needed, when we needed it.”

He said the two planned to attend an upcoming Toronto Jays baseball game.

“Even though you won’t be there, I’ll hold a beer up for you my friend,” he said.

Dorothy Sewell

Dorothy Sewell (far left) had "almost as much love" for Toronto sports "as she did for her family," her grandson said. (Courtesy of Elwood Delaney)

A great-grandmother who loved Toronto sports, Dorothy Sewell, 80, was among those killed in the attack.

Sewell was “the best grandma anyone could ever ask for,” her grandson, Elwood Delaney, told Fox News. He said she was an avid sports fan who “almost had as much love” for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball and Maple Leafs hockey teams “as she did for her family.”

Sewell reportedly worked at Sears and volunteered to help other seniors.

Family friend Stephen Chadderton said in a Facebook tribute that Sewell was very active and liked to bowl. She also never forgot a birthday or anniversary or to send a Christmas card, he said.

Chul Min ‘Eddie’ Kang

Chul Min "Eddie" King was remembered as an amazing chef and person. (Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse)

A chef, Chul Min “Eddie” Kang was supposed to take over as the ceviche chef at a new restaurant, Casa Fuego, soon, according to Canadian television station Global News.

Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse, where Kang was employed, confirmed his death to the news station. He had immigrated to Canada from South Korea a few years ago, according to the Globe and Mail.

Michael Rudan, owner of Copacabana, told the Toronto Star that Kang would cook for his children who are “devastated” by his loss. He said Kang had been working on the menu for the new restaurant.

“He created this cheesecake in the new menu. It had something Peruvian in it,” Rudan said. “It was great. He made black cod, too, that was amazing.”

“He was an amazing chef. But he was an even more amazing person,” Rudan said.

“He’s a really humble guy and was there for you with anything you need,” Selwyn Joseph, a friend, told the Globe and Mail.

King leaves behind a wife who is in South Korea, Joseph said.

Renuka Amarasinghe

A single mother who lost her husband in a car accident a few years ago, Renuka Amarasinghe was remembered by friends as someone who was always accepting of others. (Go Fund Me)

Renuka Amarasinghe, a 45-year-old single mother, was among those killed, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) confirmed in a statement to Fox News. Amarasinghe was a nutrition services staff member with the school district. On April 23, she had just finished her first day at Earl Haig Secondary School when the attack happened.

Tiffany Ford, a school trustee, said on Facebook that Amarasinghe was originally from Sri Lanka.

Kasandra Thyriar told Fox News that Amarasinghe was a family friend who had visited them in Montreal last summer. She said Amarasinghe was never one to judge other people, even if they were considered culturally different, and didn’t have “not one bad bone in her body.”

“She was so accepting,” Thyriar said. “She was so happy all the time and had beautiful energy, so pure at heart.”

A GoFundMe account set up by the Lotus Youth Council said Amarasinghe has a 7-year-old son “who is now stranded in Canada with no one to care for him.”

Thyriar said Amarasinghe’s husband passed away a few years ago. And even then, Thyriar remembered Amarasinghe as being “so resilient and stayed strong for her son.”

Ahangama Rathanasiri Mahathera, chief monk of the Mahavihara Buddhist Meditation Center in Toronto, told Fox News that he knew Amarasinghe for several years as she had regularly attended the temple with her son.

"She was a very good, very kind, very generous and friendly lady," he said. "She was friendly with everybody and was concerned about helping society and the community."

The temple's leaders have met to discuss how to help her son, he said.

Amarasinghe also belonged to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), John Weatherup, CUPE 4400 president, said in a statement. He said she was a “valuable member” of CUPE 4400.

Munir Najjar

Munir Najjar, from the country of Jordan, was in Toronto to visit his children and grandchildren, the Jordan embassy said. (Facebook)

Munir Najjar, a Jordanian citizen, was in Toronto to visit his children and grandchildren, the Embassy of Jordan in Ottowa confirmed to Fox News.

"Jordan condemns in the strongest words all acts of violence perpetrated against innocent civilians and stands shoulder to shoulder with Canada in these testing times, as extremism and violence knows no creed, religion, nationality or gender," Ambassador Rima Alaadeen said in a statement provided to Fox News.

Betty Forsyth

Even at 94 years old and aided by a walker, Betty Forsyth made sure to take a walk every day, friends told the National Post.

“It was very important for her to walk each and every day, if it was raining or not raining. She was a very strong person, you know?” her friend Martha Hacker, told the National Post.

Walking was “her thing,” neighbor Mary Hunt told the Toronto Star. “She loved to feed the birds and the squirrels.”

Forsyth was partially deaf and had suffered from bladder cancer, friends told the National Post. But even still, she was remembered as a conversationalist -- albeit, a bit of a loud one -- and someone who was up for anything, including playing the slots at the nearby Casino Rama.

Sohe Chung

Sohe Chung was a 23-year-old college student. (Facebook)

Sohe Chung, 23, studied molecular biology at the University of Toronto and worked at an upscale fashion store, according to the Toronto Star.

“Sohe, you are someone that I will never forget in all my life, you were a best friend of mine whose loss can never be replaced,” friend Cora Cianni reportedly posted to Facebook.

One of Chung’s coworkers at the Holt Renfrew department store told the Toronto Star Chung was “the best person.” The store has reportedly notified its workers of her death and is collecting donations at its registers.

Andrea Bradden

At 33 years old, Andrea Bradden worked as an account executive for Gartner, an international research and advisory company, in Toronto, according to the Caledon Enterprise.

“Andrea’s joyful energy brought smiles, happiness and laughter to everyone who was privileged to work with her and call her a friend,” Alex Falkingham, a VP at Gartner, said on a company blog post, according to the newspaper. “She had an uncanny ability to make any room she walked into a more positive place, with laughter filing the room.”

“When Andrea smiled, everyone smiled with her,” Falkingham said.

Other co-workers remembered Bradden as someone who made work trips, even with delayed flights, more enjoyable and as an optimistic person full of energy.

Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson confirmed Bradden’s death in a tweet and expressed his sympathies for her family.

Geraldine Brady

For those who knew Geraldine Brady -- or “Gerry,” as the 83-year-old great-grandmother was called -- they knew she was a “fabulous seamstress,” according to an online obituary. Brady, whose husband had already passed away, was also an Avon sales representative, according to the obituary.

Lilianna Ketz, a neighbor, told CTV News that Brady recently had multiple surgeries.

“She was a very friendly, nice woman,” Ketz said. “Never complained. She was very resilient.”

Facebook user Claudia Bohorquez said Brady was “an example to many of discipline and what [it] means to be a great person.”

According to Brady’s obituary, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Heart & Stroke Foundation in her honor in lieu of flowers.

Ji Hun Kim

Originally from South Korea, police said Ji Hun Kim, a 22-year-old student at Seneca College, was among those killed in the attack.

Kim was an only child, according to CBC News.

Seneca College President David Agnew previously confirmed that a female student has died, but the public university did not release the student’s identity.

“Along with the rest of the city, and world, we were stunned by yesterday’s news,” Agnew said. “We must grieve, and we must heal, but we must also resolve to carry on.”

The college has encouraged students and faculty to reach out to the Seneca Counselling and Accessibility Services if needed. It’s also published the website and phone number (1-866-925-5454) of Good2Talk, a free, 24-hour hotline.