Glyn Berry was following his passion when he lost his life in one of the most violent regions of the world.

The longtime Canadian diplomat had volunteered for duty in Afghanistan, where he was on a mission to foster peace and stability in a country racked by poverty, strife, and all forms of hardship.

Having served with Canada's Foreign Affairs since 1977, the 59-year-old Berry left his post in August as political counsellor at the United Nations' Canadian mission for the far more dangerous assignment.

Berry was serving as political director of the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team, coordinating reconstruction projects from the violence-plagued southern region of Kandahar.

It was on a main road on Jan. 15, about a kilometre southeast of Kandahar city, where he was killed.

Travelling in a military convoy of heavily-armoured Mercedes jeeps, Berry died when a suicide bomber approached in a nearby vehicle and detonated his haul of explosives. Three Canadian soldiers were severely wounded in that blast.

"The pursuit of peace often puts Canadians in harm's way," said the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Harder, who described Berry as a colleague and a friend.

"Glyn's death is a sad reminder to us all of this reality."

Harder said Berry had been planning a vacation in June to celebrate his 60th birthday.

At a news conference, he said Berry's widow Valerie spoke to him about how important her husband felt his work was, "and how much he felt that he was making a difference working with real people to change lives."

Colleague and former UN ambassador Paul Heinbecker described Berry as salt of the earth. "He was a guy made for difficult assignments," he told The Globe and Mail.

Defence Minister Bill Graham, who met Berry during a tour of Afghanistan, said he was impressed by the diplomat's dedication. He called Berry a "courageous" man who was trying to bring good government to an unstable region.

"He was a great person and I pay unreserved tribute to him and I send my condolences to his family," Graham told CTV. "But I know his family will know that he died doing what he really wanted to do and what he was committed to do for our country and for Afghans."

Berry moved to Canada in his 20s after growing up in Barry, South Wales.

He joined the foreign service in 1977 and took postings around the world, including Norway, Washington, Havana and London.

In 1999, Berry was assigned as senior political counsellor in Islamabad, Pakistan, and was serving as high commissioner when the region was plunged into war following the Sept. 11 attacks.

In 2002, Berry joined the Canadian mission at the UN headquarters where he chaired the General Assembly's committee on peacekeeping operations.

He was sent to Rwanda where he was part of an inquiry on Canada's peacekeeping role in the country and filed a report in 2004.

Gilbert Laurin, who worked with Berry for several years, described him as a leader who fought to protect civilians when their governments would not.

"He was one of those enthusiastic people who take on challenges and don't shirk from things that are at the limits of their reach," said Laurin, Ottawa's deputy permanent representative at the UN.

Foreign Affairs told CTV.ca that Berry is the first foreign service officer to be killed in the line of duty in more than 40 years.

On Oct 18, 1965, John Douglas Turner of Vancouver was presumed dead after the disappearance of his plane during a flight en route to Hanoi, Vietnam. Turner was the political adviser to the Canadian commission of the International Commission for Supervision and Control. Two Canadian forces members were also lost in the flight.

Berry's body was flown by a Canadian Forces C-130 Hercules transport and he will be buried in his native Wales.

He will be remembered Thursday in a funeral service at London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square.

Among Canadian officials in attendance will be Harder, Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew, and Canada's ambassador to Afghanistan, David Sproule.

Berry is survived by his wife, Valerie, and two sons, Rhys and Gareth.