A husband and wife who were stabbed to death by a stranger while they were out running errands were laid to rest on Monday.

A funeral service was held for Rahimullah Shahghasy and his wife Nazifa at 3 p.m. at Brampton Memorial Gardens.

"Everything has been taken away," said the couple's 21-year-old son Quaiss. "My dad wasn't just my dad. He was my good friend. We did a lot together. My mom the same thing.

"They took care of us, they supported us, they did everything for us and now I have nothing," Quaiss told reporters.

At one point during the service, Quaiss collapsed into the arms of his family's friends, overcome with emotion.

The couple was slain at a Brampton strip mall last Thursday. Rahimullah saw his wife being attacked by a man carrying two large knives. He tried to stop the attack but he was stabbed.

Quaiss said his father died a hero.

"He's exactly what I thought he was," he said. "He's a hero. He's a real man. You don't find too many people like that. A lot of people would have turned around and ran."

A 28-year-old suspect, who police say has no connection to the Shahghasy family, remains in hospital under police custody. He has been formally charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

A passage on a website that was created to help the couple's two children describes the couple as a perfect match.

"Nazifa's joyful and fun loving spirit matched perfectly with Rahim's generous and empathetic nature," it says. "They brought out the best in each other and used it to enrich the lives of everyone around them. Rahim and Nazifa looked at each other with the same loving eyes as the day they first met. In their last moments together, the couple's love stayed strong as Rahim was struck down while trying to save his beloved Nazifa; a true testament of devotion."

On April 16, the couple celebrated 27 years of marriage.

Children face financial troubles

Friends of the family say the children, Quaiss and his 19-year-old sister Hossy, are faced with a considerable amount of debt and are afraid they might lose their Brampton-area home.

"We have to figure out what's going on with the mortgage," Quaiss said. "My parents weren't expecting this so there is no will and no type of insurance.

There was a great financial strain on the family last year when Rahimullah suffered a stroke. The family's house is now heavily mortgaged.

A Humber College official said Hossy's education will be paid for by the institution.

A bank account has also been set up to help the Shahghasy children pay for their education and other necessities.

Donations can be made to Scotia Bank account # 635520623628 transit # 63552 bank # 002. They may also be made through the website via PayPal.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Jim Junkin