‘Mom to anyone’: Barrhaven femicide victim a devastating loss for the community
Posted Apr 28, 2026 11:24:14 AM.
Last Updated Apr 28, 2026 11:42:23 AM.
Choking back tears, Arya Farahani tried to encapsulate his mother in words, describing a larger-than-life woman who saw the good in everyone and was incredibly carefree despite her challenging life.
Farnaz Farahani, Nancy as she was known by most, was the victim of a murder in Barrhaven last week and the first femicide in the city this year. Her death sent shockwaves through the tight-knit area where Nancy’s home was a hub, her son Arya told CityNews in an interview.
“You didn’t have to know her if you asked for anything; the shirt off her back, she’d give it to you,” he said. “My mom was a mom to anybody who needed her. If you didn’t have a mom or if you had any family troubles, or even if you didn’t, and you just needed someone to talk to you, she sensed that and she was there for them.”
It’s hard to describe Nancy’s spirit through just words, Arya explained; she wasn’t just a comforting person but a deeply beautiful, kind and giving woman. She was devoted to her family, would do anything for them, but would “always be there for anybody.”
“My mom would give gifts to all the kids in the area. They were always welcome with a warm hello,” he said. “She was always there to just be someone to talk to. She was just so happy.”
Arya says that his mother was strong, having grown up in Iran with an abusive parent. Her struggles in life continued to affect her relationships, but despite this, her mantra was always “life is beautiful.”
“She was such a vibrant person that just even in spite of her upbringing, just didn’t have a mean bone in her body,” he said of his mother.
Her family was a pillar in her life; she worried about her two sons and always wanted the best for them. Arya and his brother were at odds throughout their lives, never connecting the way Nancy hoped they would.
She lived a plentiful life, taking care of her aging mother. Arya said his grandmother, Nezhat, is very ill; she battled cancer and is slowly declining from dementia. Nancy was her caregiver, taking on the opportunity not as a burden but as a duty to stand by her family even when things were difficult.
Outside of being a caregiver, Nancy was always connecting with people. Arya said she was a person whom everyone went to to be filled in, and she kept up with relationships and meaningful ties to her family.
Arya grew up in Vancouver, and one of the memories that comes to mind when speaking about his mother was how she would remind him that each person has a story and difficult moments in their life. They lived next door to someone Arya did not get along with, but Nancy would remind him of the other family’s struggles.
“‘He was growing up in poverty. You need to understand where he’s coming from,'” Arya said, claiming Nancy told him. “It’s always like that. She’s always thinking about the person, not the anger, not the situation they’re in right now, but why they’re there.”
She carried that attitude into her parenting, calm and carefree, ready to take on whatever trouble her two sons cooked up.
When Arya was in Grade 12, Facebook was just kicking off. He wanted to throw a party at their apartment, and Nancy agreed and said she’d let him and his friends have it for the night. But this was in an era of large Facebook invite parties, where Arya found out quickly just how many kids would take up an offer for an unsupervised gathering.
“The apartment was probably flooded with like a thousand kids, and like it wasn’t just my house, I didn’t know any of these people in the hallways, the staircases, outside of the apartment,” Arya recalled. “And I remember my mom coming into the building and just starting to laugh.”
“She’s like, ‘Well, I guess you threw a pretty big party, huh?'”
Even in moments where many parents could get upset, Arya said his mom just enjoyed life and the ups and downs that came with it.
“She lived the way she died. She would never ever abandon anybody. The reason she’s dead now is that she would never abandon her kids,” Arya said.
Ottawa police said Party Shah, 30, is facing charges of second-degree murder in connection with the death of his mother. He is also facing a charge of attempted murder for the traumatic injuries Nezhat suffered.
“She would never give up on anyone who was struggling with their mental health,” Kayla Cyr, a close friend of Arya’s, said in an email. “She also loved to cook beautiful Persian meals, and anyone who crossed her path was always welcome at her table. Sharing food was one of the many ways she showed her love and care.”
A fundraiser has been started to help the family navigate the days and months ahead. Arya said his grandmother needs care, and transitioning her into a home is a priority for the family.
The money will go towards funeral costs and supporting Nezhat going forward.
