By KELLY ROCHE and JUSTIN SADLER, Ottawa Sun
Ottawa’s second homicide victim of 2011 is being remembered as a dedicated mom to her three kids and who loved volunteering at the local swimming pool.
“Tina is a terrific lady. She put her heart into her kids’ activities,” said Wayne Toner, president of the Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club where the woman donated her time before moving to Ottawa a couple of years ago.
Tinde “Tina” Nemet was stabbed to death in her 1564 Fisher Ave. home Friday morning.
Her 56-year-old husband, Mihalj “Mike” Nemet, has been charged with first-degree murder in her death.
He made a brief court appearance Saturday and was remanded into custody.
He will appear in court again on March 21.
Tina, who worked at Canada Revenue Agency as an IT analyst, was an integral part of the club, Toner said, where she volunteered as a swimming official.
“We saw Tina everyday. At swim meets, she was always the first one there. She attended every function,” he said.
All three kids — Leonora, 19, Teodora, 18 and Thomas, 16 — swam there until the family moved.
Meantime, co-workers of Teodora and Thomas are rallying to help support them through their loss. The siblings work at the South Keys Loblaws, Teodora in the bakery and Thomas at the hot food counter.
“She was in today, not working. We were just basically trying to help her get through this,” said duty manager Peggy Dubois. “She’s not good. It’s going to be a long struggle for both her and her brother.”
Dubois said staff has put together a year’s supply of gifts to provide the pair with free groceries and store manager Emmanuel Smiley plans to set up a trust fund for them.
“It’s a shock. You hear about this all the time, but when it hits so close to home, we’re just like a great big family right now,” she said. “It’s really hard. A lot of us can’t even focus on our jobs.”
In court Saturday Mihalj Nemet, who stands about 5-feet-6, and sports a shaved head appeared in court wearing a black dress shirt and black dress pants.
His face had no expression and he did not speak.
Saturday afternoon, a white bowl with bright pink flowers sat on the front step of the family home on Fisher.
The front window of the rowhouse still has three vases with orange and yellow flowers.
Police tape cordoned off the backyard and the home’s front entrance.
Neighbours told the Sun Friday they woke up to horrific screams early that morning.
“I’ve never heard screaming like that in my life and I hope to never hear it again,” Victor Stanley said.
“This was just a blood-curdling scream.”
kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca
http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2011/03/12/17591821.html
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