An 80-year-old woman who loved the Toronto Blue Jays, a steakhouse chef, and a single mother from Sri Lanka were among the 10 people who died last year, after Alek Minassian allegedly swerved a rental van onto a busy Yonge Street sidewalk and began mowing down pedestrians on the afternoon of April 23, 2018.
The included eight women and two men whose ages spanned between 22 and 94 years old. Two of the victims were foreign nationals. At the time, 16 people had been injured in the attack.
The City of Toronto went on to raise as part of its a #TorontoStrong Fund for 41 victims and families of the van attack and the Danforth shooting. It went towards covering emergency expenses for those impacted, which also included witnesses and their families.
Approximately $214,000 of this was by Muslim-Canadian non-profit organization Canada Zakat, the group鈥檚 project manager Junaid Sohail wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca.
Several vigils and memorials have taken place in the wake of the attack.
Now, more than a year later, here鈥檚 what CTVNews.ca learned about those who died:
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Anne Marie D鈥橝mico
D鈥橝mico, 30, worked at the Canadian headquarters for the U.S.-based investment management firm Invesco on Yonge Street, and was actively involved in sports and charity.
Since the attacks, her family in her name 鈥渋n support of ending violence against women,鈥� her brother Nick D鈥橝mico on Dec. 3, on what would have been Anne Marie鈥檚 31st birthday.
鈥淪he was the face of the tragedy for so many hours,鈥� her brother added. 鈥淣ow she can be the face of hope for so many women across the world and throughout the country.鈥�
Last year, money from the foundation went towards North York Women鈥檚 Shelter to help raise money for a facility for survivors of violence.
She was voted Tennis Canada鈥檚 volunteer of the year in 2016, and worked for the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto and the Canadian charity Live Different, according to a Facebook profile believed to belong to her.
"She genuinely wanted to care for all those around her even if it meant sacrificing a portion of herself in return for others鈥� happiness. She only had kindness in her," her family said in a statement the day after the attack.
D鈥橝mico attended Ryerson University for a time, graduating in 2010, according to Abdullah Snobar, the executive director of the Digital Media Zone there. He called her a "shining light" and "an incredible human being that we all dearly loved and already miss."
"One of the most happiest and cheerful people you will ever meet," he told 麻豆影视 Channel on Tuesday. "I had the privilege of being around her for many years and never did I see her down or sad, [she was] usually the one that was lifting people up to find their best and be their best."
Beutis Renuka Amarasingha
Originally from Sri Lanka, Amarasingha, 45, was a single mother of a seven-year-old son and was an active member of Toronto's Sri Lankan community.
Amarasingha was a nutritional services worker for the Toronto District School Board. The day of the attack was her first day working at a school near Yonge Street.
More than a thousand people attended her visitation in a Markham, Ont. chapel and one of her friends said it featured both Christian and Buddhist ceremonies because Amarasingha was an active member of both faiths.
Dilmi De Silva, who knew Amarasingha from the temple, set up a for Amarasingha鈥檚 son which raised more $359,857 by its end. According to the page, the legal advisor of the Toronto Maha Vihara Society had started putting the money in a trust.
He also described how Amarasingha would volunteer at the Scarborough General Hospital, where she鈥檇 donate toys to sick children. De Silva added that she always brought food and snacks for the children at the Buddhist temple.
Randika Karunaghilake, a friend of Amarasingha for 13 years, said they visited a temple together the day before the deadly attack. In the days after the attack, she told 麻豆影视 Channel Amarasingha 鈥渢reated me like her own child.鈥�
Ahangama Rathanasiri, reverend of the temple, said Amarsingha was kind, helpful and generous. 鈥淪ome days, she was the one who brought cookies for all of the children,鈥� she said.
Munir Abdo Habib Najjar
Najjar, 85, of Jordan had been visiting Toronto for several weeks with his wife. His son, Omar Najjar, is a Jordanian-Canadian citizen who is a vocalist and director with the Arab Canadian Orchestra.
Shortly after the attack, Harry Malawi, the president of the Jordanian Canadian Society, is a family friend, told The Canadian Press "we stand together, we want to help the family heal ... physically, psychologically, emotionally and financially, they need all the help they can get."
At the time, he said that the family had plans to repatriate Najjar鈥檚 body to Jordan.
Chul Min "Eddie" Kang
Kang, 45, was a chef at Toronto鈥檚 Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse. The day after the attack, the restaurant issued a statement expressing their 鈥済reat sadness鈥� in his passing.
"He will be deeply missed by all who knew him," said corporate director John Paul Mannella in the statement. Armando Sandobal was Kang鈥檚 coworker for four years in Toronto kitchens.
"He had a passion for food. He had a passion for cooking," Sandobal said, adding that he was "angry" about the news. "I feel bad because he (Kang) was my partner, we worked together and then this happened."
Dorothy Sewell
Dorothy Sewell, 80, was 鈥渢he best grandma you could ask for,鈥� according to her grandson Elwood Delaney. At the time, Delaney told 麻豆影视 Channel over the phone from British Columbia that Sewell was a big fan of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
鈥淓ither she was at the game or she watched them all on TV,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f it was a close game and you tried to call her ... she wouldn鈥檛 answer until the game was over,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here were so many good things,鈥� Delaney said. 鈥淏etween me, the other grandkids and my kids, she called every Christmas, every birthday, every Easter.鈥�
According to her , Sewell had been a loving wife and mother to three children and left behind four grandchildren including Elwood, and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial tree had been planted near the building where Sewell used to live, reported this past April.
Besides being a 26-year employee of Sears Canada, the obituary added that she was 鈥渢he best shortbread cookie maker鈥� for her nieces and nephews.
Mary Elizabeth 鈥淏etty鈥� Forsyth
Forsyth, 94, lived in the area of the attack, according to two of her friends. Neighbour Paulina Reyes told CP24 that Forsyth was a friendly person who, despite needing a walker, was 鈥渁lways walking around.鈥�
鈥淪he was a good person,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淰ery nice. Very friendly. Always (had) time to speak to people.鈥�
According to her , she was a 鈥渂eloved aunt鈥� and 鈥渃herished friend.鈥� It also added Forsyth was a 鈥渢ruly independent, spirited and colourful character.鈥�
The post also noted that, after , her cremated remains would be interred in her family plot in Newhaven, England with her mother and two siblings.
Arshalouise Nersessian, whose parents lived in the same building as Forsyth, described her as a 鈥渓ady who loved life and was doing everything on her own until the last moment."
Nersessian said Forsyth had several surgeries and that 鈥渟he was always positive after every single one of them, that she was going to live and enjoy life.鈥�
"I could never imagine that someone can kill her spirit,鈥� Nersessian added. 鈥淏ecause her spirit will always be with us."
So He Chung
The University of Toronto biology student was known for her love of fashion and Chung, 22, also worked as a sales associate at luxury retailer Holt Renfrew. According to her LinkedIn account, Chung studied cellular and molecular biology at the University of Toronto from 2013 to 2018.
Staff at Holt Renfrew confirmed to 麻豆影视 that Chung was among the 10 victims killed in the van attack.
Chung was reportedly a member of the University of Toronto Korean Students鈥� Association, which that one of its members was killed in the attack. The group went on to hold a vigil, which saw hundreds of people attend. The group also organized a vigil for fellow victims Chul Min "Eddie" Kang and Ji Hun Kim.
The Friday after her death, Holt Renfew hung a Canadian flag in the window of its Bloor Street location with the hashtag #TorontoStrong.
Andrea Bradden
Bradden, 33, of Woodbridge, Ont., was an account executive at Gartner, a U.S.-based advisory and research firm whose Toronto office is located on the stretch of Yonge St. where the attack occurred.
She was also an active member of the Slovenian Roman Catholic church in Etobicoke and several cultural Slovenian groups.
The mayor of Caledon, Ont., the location where Bradden went to school, and the mayor of Vaughan, Ont., where she had lived, both expressed their grief to several media outlets.
Geraldine Brady
Brady, 83, was a 鈥渃herished鈥� grandmother who was better known as 鈥淕erry鈥� to friends and family, according to her .
An Avon salesperson for more than 45 years, she was likely visiting customers in the area at the time of the attack. "She was very honest and caring for others," her colleague Feanny Xu told The Canadian Press at the time. 鈥淪he is wonderful. It's so sad.鈥�
According to her obituary, Brady, who was described as a 鈥渇abulous seamstress," left behind two daughters, five grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Speaking to 麻豆影视 Channel shortly after her death, Brady鈥檚 neighbour, Lilianna Ketz, described the woman as 鈥渇riendly鈥� and 鈥渧ery resilient鈥� in the face of health issues.
鈥淪he was always nice鈥� the best neighbour that can be,鈥� Ketz said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard to realize she鈥檚 gone just like that.鈥�
Ji Hun Kim
According to authorities, Kim, 22, was a South Korean national studying in Toronto. Several people commented on her , including Seneca College professor Gerardo Suarez del Real Lujan.
鈥淚 had the honour and pleasure of being Ji Hun鈥檚 professor this semester. She was a dedicated, intelligent, and quiet student; I鈥檓 certain she made her family very proud and happy,鈥� he wrote.
With reports from CTV Toronto and CP24 and files from The Canadian Press
