A Calgarian is among the 18 Canadians killed when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday.
CTV News has learned that Derick Lwugi, the past president of the Calgary-Kenya Association and a current City of Calgary employee was onboard the flight that crashed, killing all 157 onboard.
Lwugi leaves behind his wife Gladys Kivia and three children.
Gladys spoke with CTV News on Sunday and says she feels "horrible" and "confused."
"He is a man who loves peace. He's a man who loves people.Whenever he knows someone has a problem or something, he was always the first one there. He would sacrifice his evenings, he would just need to get there and help the person."
She adds that he was a loving dad who loved his family and worked hard to make a comfortable life for his family.
Prince Kivia, Derick's son, says his dad was the best man he's ever known.
"He's always been a mentor to me. He's always been a role model for me. Even I never came to him with most of my problems, he was always there... we always loved to talk."
Derick came to Canada in 2003 and sponsored his family to join him three years later.
His family says he was on a trip to visit his parents in Nairobi and some family friends. He was 53.
Two other Albertans, Amina Ibrahim Odowaa, and five-year-old niece, Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir, both from Edmonton, were also killed.
Ottawa's Carleton University confirmed Pius Adesanmi, a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, was also killed in the crash.
Crews at the scene of the crash are still looking for the flight data recorder.
