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Police identify 10 victims of Toronto van attack who 'loved life and had a lot of life left to live'

Eight women and two men were killed in the attack. The victims range in age from 22 to 94 years old, and include two foreign nationals

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Ten people died and 16 were injured when a van mounted a sidewalk and mowed down pedestrians in north Toronto on April 23. Eight women and two men were killed in the attack: Renuka Amarasingha, 45, Andrea Bradden, 33, Geraldine Brady, 83, So He Chung, 22, Anne Marie D’Amico, 30, Mary Elizabeth Forsyth, 94, Ji Hun Kim, 22, Dorothy Sewell, 80, Chul Min Kang, 45, and Munir Abdo Habib Najjar, 85. The victims range in age from 22 to 94 years old, and include two foreign nationals — from South Korea and Jordan. Bradden was from Woodbridge and the rest lived in Toronto. Here’s what we know about them.

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Ji Hun Kim, 22

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The student from South Korea was one of two foreign nationals killed in the attack.

Earlier in the week, Seneca College president David Agnew, without mentioning Kim by name, confirmed that a female student was “an innocent victim of this tragic act of violence.”

No additional information on Kim was available Friday afternoon.

Gerry Brady.
Gerry Brady. Photo by Courtesy of Feanny Xu

Geraldine Brady, 83

Even in her 80s, Gerry Brady was still active delivering Avon products to her customers.

A representative of the direct-sales company for 45 years, Brady kept busy shipping orders by car to her customers, said friend and Avon colleague Feanny Xu.

“They kept her going,” Xu said. “She can’t let her customers down.”

Brady, a grandmother, lived in the area where Monday’s van attack occurred, Xu said, describing her as the “most honest and kind person I ever met.”

In a Facebook tribute, Xu called Brady her “best #Avon helper.”

— Doug Quan, National Post

Andrea Bradden.
Andrea Bradden. Photo by Twitter

Andrea Bradden, 33

Andrea Bradden, 33, worked as an account executive at Gartner Canada, an information technology market research company with an office on Yonge Street just north of Sheppard.

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She graduated from Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School in Caledon, Ont., in 2003, and is reported to have attended a Slovenian Catholic church in Etobicoke, 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,” wrote Alex Falkingham, a colleague at Gartner, in a public post that has since been taken down. “She had the uncanny ability to make any room she walked into a more positive place, with laughter filling the room. When Andrea smiled, everyone smiled with her.”

Another colleague described a recent business trip by propeller plane to a remote mining town, and how Bradden’s good nature kept spirits high. Other posts from colleagues described her as energetic, passionate, funny and widely respected. Calls to Gartner headquarters in New York were not immediately returned on Friday afternoon.

— Joseph Brean, National Post

Sohe Chung
Sohe Chung Photo by Instagram

So He Chung, 22

Jodi Yeung knows it sounds like a cliche.

But Sohe Chung was “genuinely, really, really sweet.”

“She was one of those nice girls you would bring home to your mom.”

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Chung, 22, a University of Toronto student, was publicly identified Thursday as another victim of Monday’s van attack in Toronto.

Her LinkedIn profile stated that she was studying cellular and molecular biology and that she also worked as a sales specialist at Holt Renfrew.

Chung graduated from Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School in 2013, the school’s alumnae association announced on Facebook Thursday. Another victim of Monday’s carnage, Anne Marie D’Amico, also graduated from the same high school.

“Some very sad news to report. Loretto Abbey has lost another alumnae in Monday’s tragedy that occurred in North York,” the Facebook post read. “The Loretto Alumnae Association extends its heartfelt sympathy to Sohe’s family. Please keep them in your prayers.”

Holt Renfrew notified staff of her death on Wednesday and provided counselling, the Toronto Sun reported.

“We are deeply saddened that a member of our community has died as a result of this terrible incident,” U of T President Meric Gertler said in a statement. “We mourn the loss of our student and want those affected to know that they have the support of the university.

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Yeung said she and Chung were part of a tight circle of friends starting in Grade 10. Chung always had an interest in fashion and loved buying clothes.

Chung was also a foodie and loved exploring different brunch spots to fill her Instagram page, Yeung said.

Yeung said she didn’t see as much of Chung after high school as they attended different schools, but they kept in contact over text message. When Yeung heard that Chung might’ve been one of the victims this week, she said she immediately tried her phone but there was no answer.

The news still hasn’t really sunk in, she said.

“You just feel like you’re in denial.”

— Doug Quan, National Post

A tribute for Betty Forsyth is seen at Yonge St. and Finch Ave. in Toronto.
A tribute for Betty Forsyth is seen at Yonge St. and Finch Ave. in Toronto. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Forsyth, 94

Forsyth, the oldest identified fatality of the Toronto van attack, was a vivacious woman who was struck down as she returned from her daily walk to the shops and to feed birds and squirrels.

Friends at the North York Seniors Centre where she lived for more than 20 years described a fiery old lady whose deafness did not discourage her from taking control of conversations, and whose years of bladder cancer treatment could not keep her from her regular visits to the slots at Casino Rama.

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One time, she came home $4,000 richer.

Forsyth was due to go collect her new hearing aid on Thursday with her best friend, Mary Hunt. Instead, she was run over in front of a Yonge Street drug store in the early afternoon of a sunny Monday.

Born in the United Kingdom in the summer of 1923, Forsyth never married or had children. Her ashes are to be returned there.

“She was unbelievable,” said Hunt, who often found herself talking over Forsyth, and being talked over in return, as they chatted about life, or complained about dodgy television reception.

On Wednesday, in her apartment overlooking the uptown Toronto stretch of Yonge Street where Alek Minassian allegedly murdered ten people with a van, Hunt shared her fondest memories of Forsyth in between bouts of weeping that overwhelmed her.

“She was an interesting woman, mentally,” Hunt said. “She wouldn’t miss a thing.”

“She was a very strong woman,” said her friend Marika Hacker, 90.

Hacker said Forsyth used to run a business selling dogs, and kept a love of animals that led her to feed crumbs to the neighbourhood wildlife.

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“She said they would be looking for her,” Hunt said.

“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?” Hacker said.

Forsyth’s friends placed a photo of her outside with a memorial message, which on Wednesday was dappled with rain.

“Never so true a friend, who met all life’s challenges with cheeky courage and much laughter. We will miss you!”

— Joseph Brean, National Post

Anne Marie D’Amico.
Anne Marie D’Amico. Photo by Facebook

Anne Marie D’Amico, 30

The first victim to be named, D’Amico was employed by U.S.-based investment management firm Invesco Canada, which has an office on Yonge Street close to where the carnage unfolded.

Friends and family said she was a kind, gentle and tireless volunteer with Toronto’s tennis community.

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

D’Amico, a Ryerson University graduate, had been a longtime volunteer with the Rogers Cup tournament, the Toronto event that draws the best in tennis to the city each summer. She started at the age of 12 as a ball girl, chasing the balls between points.

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“We are honoured to let the world know what an amazing person she was,” Gavin Ziv, vice president of professional events at Tennis Canada, said in a statement.

D’Amico also volunteered with the youth charity Live Different on two humanitarian field trips to the Dominican Republic, first in 2015 and again in 2017. The charity partners with communities to build houses, schools and other needed projects.

“It comforts us knowing that the world has a chance to know her,” her family said in its statement. “We hope that in this time, people fight with the same altruism rather than anger and hatred.”

— Sharon Kirkey, National Post

Dorothy Sewell.
Dorothy Sewell. Photo by Courtesy Elwood Delaney

Dorothy Sewell, 80

Feisty and dependable. That was Sewell, 80, a great-grandmother.

Always punctual for her appointments, Sewell was on her way to her local bank when tragedy struck on Monday.

She was the “best grandmother anyone could have asked for,” said her grandson, Elwood Delaney of B.C., who shared her love for sports. “Almost had as much love for the Blue Jays and Leafs as she did for her family.”

In a Facebook tribute, Delaney wrote: “You will always be loved and your love for sports will always be with me while I cheer with you.”

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Sewell had spent decades as a Sears employee, working her way up to a management position at headquarters as a merchandise-flow analyst before her retirement, said former colleague Martha FitzGerald.

Sewell never took a sick day, met her deadlines and was a straight shooter. Various Facebook tributes from ex-coworkers described her as “poised and graceful” and “tough as nails but such a sweet lovely lady.”

“You would want someone like Dorothy working for you,” FitzGerald said.

Beyond being a dependable worker, she was also a dependable friend. If you were going through a difficult time personally, she would always have something positive to say about the situation.

“I learned thru her actions you can go through a lot but you don’t have to be miserable,” FitzGerald said.

Longtime friend Teresa Mettel said Sewell, who made her wedding dress, had a “heart of gold” and never asked for anything in return.

Sewell and Mettel’s 91-year-old mother, Doreen Herlihy, were neighbours and would visit each other’s apartments on a weekly basis for coffee and to watch sports on TV, Mettel said. Figure skating, baseball, hockey, you name it.

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“She was a guardian angel for my mother,” Mettel said.

Sewell was very active in her retirement, participating in bowling leagues, volunteering with her church and providing assistance to other seniors. She was thrilled to dote on her great grandchildren when they visited last year. And she always found time to go visit her old Sears colleagues at headquarters.

On Monday night, Sewell was scheduled to have dinner with FitzGerald and three other friends at the Pickle Barrel in Thornhill. They were members of the “5-4-3 Club,” a group of five ex-Sears employees that met for dinner every four months on the third Monday.

When news spread of the van attack that afternoon, they scrambled to get in touch with Sewell but got no response. Later that night, they learned she was among the casualties.

On Thursday, the remaining members of the group traced the steps Sewell would’ve walked from her apartment to the point where they believe she was killed.

And they vowed to continue their dinners because that’s what Sewell would’ve wanted, FitzGerald said.

“She loved life and had a lot of life left to live. ”

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— Doug Quan, National Post

Chul Min (Eddie) Kang.
Chul Min (Eddie) Kang. Photo by Handout

Chul Min (Eddie) Kang, 45

Co-workers identified Chul Min (Eddie) Kang, who worked as a chef with Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouses, as one of the victims. Kang was born in Seoul, Korea and attended Mohawk College in Hamilton.

In a statement, his employer said Kang’s death brings the company “great sadness.”

Kang was described by colleagues as “salt of the earth.”

Reports said he emigrated from South Korea to Canada several years ago and that his wife, who had been living in Toronto, recently returned to South Korea.

Devastated friends and colleagues described Kang as a great soul. “It’s unbelievable that we lost you Eddie. I’m still in shock,” one colleague wrote on Facebook.

“Your daily happiness is being missed at Copacabana. In your last encounter you called me ‘Amor mio’ smiling to me when I arrived at Copacabana …. Rest in peace my dear Eddie Chulmin Kang.”

“My heart is in pain,” wrote another friend. “But I can’t even begin to imagine how his wife & the rest of his family feel.”

“I’m crying right now because there were many chances we could have spent time together and talk about food and health and Korea and life. I’m crying right now cause all I can say is sorry and it’s too late.”

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Last May, Kang posted lyrics to Bob Dylan’s Forever Young on his Facebook page.

“You now stay forever young, RIP,” a woman wrote Wednesday, “Now you are in heaven, young man.”

— Sharon Kirkey, National Post

Munir Najjar.
Munir Najjar. Photo by Facebook

Munir Abdo Habib Najjar, 85

Harry Malawi, president of the Jordanian Canadian Society, confirmed Wednesday that Munir Najjar, a Jordanian citizen, was among the dead. Najjar and his wife were in Toronto to visit their son, Omar, who is a vocalist with the Canadian Arabic Orchestra. Najjar had only been in the country for a couple of weeks when the van attack took place, according to Malawi. The family is in the midst of a three-day mourning period, he said.

“Right now, they’re in shock. They want privacy,” he said, adding that the outpouring of support from the community has helped to “ease the (family’s) pain.”

A friend of the family said Najjar was a “man of peace who lived for his family.”

“All I can say (is) he does not deserve to leave this way.”

In a statement Wednesday Rima Alaadeen, Jordan’s ambassador to Canada, confirmed the father and grandfather in his 80s was among the victims of the “heinous” attack.  

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“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 knows no creed, religion, nationality or gender,” the statement said. 

— Doug Quan, National Post

Renuka Amarasingha.
Renuka Amarasingha. Photo by Facebook

Renuka Amarasingha, 45

The Toronto Maha Vihara Buddhist Meditation Centre confirmed Wednesday that Amarasingha, a single mom with a seven-year-old son, Diyon, was among the victims. The child attends Sunday School at the centre, which has launched a Go Fund Me page to raise money for his care.

Amarasingha was an employee with the Toronto District School Board headquartered at 5050 Yonge Street, an address fronting the path Alek Minassian allegedly drove Monday in a rented white van, killing 10 and injuring 16. Tiffany Ford, a TDSB trustee, posted her condolences for the dead woman.

“It was just confirmed that one of our TDSB staff members was killed on Monday in the tragic event,” Ford wrote. “Ms. Renuka Amarasingha, a single mom from Sri Lanka. May she rest in peace. My condolences to her son, family, and colleagues.”

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“It is with heavy hearts that we are learning of the death of a TDSB staff member whose life was tragically cut short during Monday’s horrible events along Yonge Street,” TDSB director of education John Malloy said in a statement.

“Renuka Amarasingha, a former TDSB adult student, was a Nutrition Services staff member who had worked at a number of TDSB schools since 2015 — most recently at Earl Haig Secondary School, where she had just finished up her first day. We are reaching out to her loved ones to support them in any way possible.”

Earl Haig Secondary School is just a few blocks from where Monday’s incident unfolded.

A monk at the temple Amarasingha frequented said she was an active member of Toronto’s Sri Lankan community and noted that the brutality of her death left many questioning the safety of the country they now call home.

“We think that Canada was a peaceful country, (but) that is a doubt we have if people do these kinds of things,” Ahangama Rathanasiri of the Toronto Maha Vihara Buddhist Meditation Centre told the Canadian Press. “This is a very sad incident.”

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Rathanasiri described Amarasingha as a kind and generous person who attended regular services and brought cookies to Sunday school students every week. Rathanasiri said Amarasingha’s friends first became alarmed when she did not return home on Monday afternoon to look after her son as usual. Friends are currently caring for Amarasingha’s son, he added.

— Joe O’Connor, National Post

With files from The Canadian Press

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