Family and friends gathered for an emotional service at a church in Kingston, Ont. Thursday to honour the life of the third female Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.
Maj. Michelle Mendes, 30, was found dead in her accommodation room at Kandahar Airfield last Thursday.
Although the circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, the military has ruled out enemy involvement.
Mendes, an intelligence officer who was based out of Ottawa, was working at the headquarters of the Canadian task force at Kandahar Airfield, as part of her second tour of duty.
She was remembered by colleagues as a person who strived to make life more enjoyable for those around her by making cards and baking cookies.
Another service for Mendes will be held on Saturday in Grafton, Ont., just east of Cobourg, near the town where she grew up.
Mendes is the 118th Canadian soldiers to die while serving in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2002.
