Roshan Thomas, one of two Canadians killed on March 20 in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan, will always be remembered for her good heart.

Among the many mourning her untimely death is Iqbal Parekh, a family friend.

“She was a person who was very articulate, very compassionate, and...living within the context of the ethics of the Ismaili faith,” Parekh told the Straight in a phone interview today (March 21).

Parekh had known the Vancouver optometrist for more than 20 years, starting when Thomas was bringing her children to the Parekh family daycare during the late 1980s.

“We used to run a family daycare when we lived in Richmond. They also lived in Richmond at the time. Her kids were very young at that time,” he related from Vancouver Island, where he works at an independent school.

Parekh recalled that Thomas and her husband Rahim had gone to Pakistan to do eye clinics, and from there, went to Afghanistan.

There they saw the need to help in the education of girls. They put up what is now known as the Sparks Academy, which provides free education, according to Parekh.

The last time Parekh met Thomas was in Atlanta in 2007, when the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims, was invited to give a lecture.

“We discussed trying to assist some of her students to come to Canada on scholarships, which I was going to arrange with the schools I have contact with,” Parekh said.

The other Canadian killed in the attack at the Serena Hotel in Kabul was Zeenab Kassam from Calgary.

Like Parekh, the two women are members of Canada’s Ismaili community.

According to Parekh, Kassam went to Afghanistan to volunteer at the Time and Knowledge Nazrana program established by the Aga Khan in 2007 during his golden jubilee year.

Parekh recalled that as part of the celebration of the Aga Khan’s 50th year as spiritual leader, he called on Ismaili professionals from developed countries to volunteer their time and knowledge in places where the faith was running programs.

“This was a very tragic loss,” Parekh about the deaths of Thomas and Zeenab.

In a statement issued today, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said that Canada condemns the “cowardly” attack that claimed the lives of nine people.

“On behalf of all Canadians, we extend our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and injured,” Baird said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of two Canadian citizens who were killed in this attack.”