An eastern Ontario community southeast of Ottawa is mourning the tragic loss of a mother of two who was killed over the weekend when she was unable to escape a fire that engulfed the bar she owned, as well as the apartment where she lived upstairs.

Sue Delorme, 42, was killed when flames ripped through Sue Magoo's bar at about 3:30 a.m. in Alexandria on Sunday. She is remembered as a woman who loved to sing and smile.

Delorme, who was nicknamed Sue Magoo, leaves behind two children: her son, Matt MacDonald, 22, and daughter, Nadia Seguin, 16.

"She always made us happy," said MacDonald. "We just can't believe it."

Although Delorme was killed in the blaze, her boyfriend Tommy MacDonald, her brother, and a tenant living in another unit managed to escape

MacDonald, who was Delorme's high school sweetheart, remained in a coma in hospital on Monday after jumping from a second-storey window to escape the flames. The couple reconnected two years ago and was planning to buy a house.

Community in shock

Delorme's death has not only rattled her family, but also the entire community.

Before buying the bar two years ago, Delorme worked at a Tim Horton's restaurant in Alexandria for about 10 years.

Friends say she would see hundreds of customers each day, and she knew many of their orders by heart.

Those who knew her, say they don't understand why her life was cut short.

I don't understand how this happened, said Jeremy Dubeau, who works at the bar and considers Delorme his best friend.

He usually stays overnight in one of Delorme's spare rooms on the weekends, but for some reason chose not to stay there Saturday night.

Now, he fears Delorme's love for her cat may have caused her to become trapped in the fire as she tried to rescue it.

The building is more than 100 years old, and has been owned by several people.

A previous fire destroyed the building about 33 years ago, when the site operated as an inn. At the time, the owners of the building decided to rebuild.

The cause of the fire remains unknown. The investigation is ongoing.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem