They are proud parents with fond memories. "Always think of him smiling all the time and every picture of his eyes," says Carl Wilson, Trooper Mark Wilson's father.

This Thanksgiving weekend it will be 10 years since these loving parents, and later the country, learned the devastating news.

In 2006, Trooper Mark Wilson was killed by a roadside bomb.

He was the gunner in an armoured vehicle and the 40th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.

Carl Wilson would be told first.

He then waited with clergy and military officials for his wife Carolyn to return to their cottage

"When I had to tell Carolyn, that Mark was not coming home, that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Carl Wilson recalls with emotion.

"As soon as I got out of the car, he said 'Brace yourself, Mark is not coming home.' I think it put me right to the ground really and truly," says Carolyn Wilson.

Trooper Wilson's flag draped casket would soon be sent home from Afghanistan.

The days that followed are largely a blur for both Carolyn and Carl.

However, Mark's repatriation to Canada sticks out in their minds.

"What had the biggest impact was Mark's coffin and coming off the airplane at Trenton in pouring down rain," says Carl.

For an emotional father and mother, the support of London and area has been a blessing over the last 10 years.

A long list of tributes include a charity ride and a park in Mark's honour.

"That was probably the biggest thing that helped us, was everyone around us the neighbourhood, the church, like I say everybody. It was beyond our expectations of what we would've thought," says Carl.

Both Carl and Carolyn say the journey through the last 10 years has taken them to a point where grief has largely superseded by pride.

While they would both love to hug their son again, they take solace in reflecting on his dedication to service and simply the kind of man he was.

"The biggest thing that comforts our spirit is that Mark knew exactly what he was doing and what he was going into," says Carolyn.

"I've received several letters from commanding officers saying what a great man he was and I think that's the proudest thing for me," adds Carl.

"Our son was larger than life and his memory is being so honoured just makes us so proud," says Carolyn.