Just weeks before he was set to come home from Afghanistan, a Vancouver man building a school in the war-torn country was murdered over the weekend.

Mike Frastacky, 56, had spent the last four summers building a school in Nahrin, Afghanistan. The carpenter, who lived in Vancouver, had volunteered his time and expertise to build a school that now educates about 580 children.

Frastacky's interpreter in Afghanistan sent news of his death back to family members living in Toronto.

While the details are unclear, it appears that sometime Sunday evening Frastacky was shot and killed. Who pulled the trigger or why aren't known yet, but family members in Canada believe the Taliban is behind his death.

"His emails this summer were increasingly depressed because ... negative elements were creeping in and he felt less and less safe," sister Luba Frastacky told CTV.ca Tuesday evening.

"And that's why he tried to cut his stay in Nahrin short. However, it was not short enough."

The Taliban barred girls from attending school. Frastacky's school educated both boys and girls from nine villages in Baghlan province of Afghanistan.

Frastacky said her brother's school was a project he started and carried through to completion because "he loved the Afghan people."

During a trek to Nahrin five years ago, he met with village elders. They told Frastacky that the community needed a school and the project took shape from there.

Putting his carpentry skills to use, he began building a school complete with a library, playground and well providing fresh water.

"He wanted to spend some time other than building homes for millionaires (in Vancouver). He wanted to do something for somebody else."

Frastacky's project had no sponsorship from aid organizations or religious groups. Instead, he spoke with friends and family, getting them to catch his vision for a school in a remote corner of Afghanistan.

"I gave him $500, someone gave him $50, he put in $20,000 of his own," his sister explained. "For little money you can do very, very much in Afghanistan."

News of Frastacky's murder shocked his family. However, they feel proud as well.

And his efforts are being noticed. Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada called Toronto to speak with Frastacky's family.

Omar Samad said he spoke with the slain man months ago when he applied for an entry visa. Frastacky's selfless efforts to help Afghanistan touched the ambassador.

"I was so impressed by his willingness and his offer to go to Afghanistan to help in a remote part of the country by building a school with his own hands," Samad told the The Globe and Mail.

He said millions of people in Afghanistan will remember Frastacky and that he asked the family if he could attend the memorial service in Toronto.

Frastacky will be cremated in Afghanistan and his ashes returned to Toronto. He will be buried next to his mother and father.

Plans are being made to celebrate Frastacky's life, first in Toronto with family members, and then again in Vancouver with his friends of 30 years.

"Mike was not doing it for the glory. Mike was doing it to help a community of villages," his sister said.

"Basically he died (doing) what he wanted to do and the school is his memorial. That's the thing that keeps me going."