Diana Mehta, THE CANADIAN PRESS

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BUCKHORN, Ont. - The latest soldier killed in Afghanistan was a gentle family man who had planned to return home to his wife and two young daughters at the end of the month, his uncle said Friday.

Cpl. Nick Bulger of Buckhorn, Ont., was killed when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province on Friday.

"It's fairly heartbreaking," said Bulger's uncle John Bowker. "The cars are just pouring in here right now. It's all friends and family."

The 30-year-old soldier is survived by his wife Rebeka and daughters, aged four and two years. The family lives in Edmonton, where Bulger served with the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

Bulger went to Afghanistan for his first tour of duty in February and frequently emailed his family in Canada, Bowker said.

He said his nephew was proud of being in the military despite having some close calls.

"He talked about it a lot," Bowker said. "He believed in what he was doing and he thought the best way to do it was to put his head down and move forward."

Bulger also frequently shared stories of his time in Afghanistan with his family, Bowker said.

"He talked about how rough it was over there in terms of the lifestyles of the people living there, which is why he put a lot of faith in what he was doing," he said.

Being a gentle but protective figure was a big part of Bulger's character, Bowker said.

"Nick lived for his two daughters," he said. "But he was also a father figure to his younger sister and two younger brothers."

Bulger came from a large extended family originally from the east coast. He was born in Toronto but moved to Buckhorn when he was six years old. Although he was an Ontario native, Bulger spent a lot of his summers on Prince Edward Island.

"Three of his uncles in P.E.I. have just been told, and they jumped in a car and are going to spend the next 14 hours driving over here," Bowker said.

Bulger always wanted a career in service, his uncle said.

"His dream was to become a firefighter," Bowker said.

Bulger earned a diploma in fire safety management but went on to train for the military in 2000.

He was posted to Edmonton in the spring of 2001 and spent two years as a rifleman, armoured vehicle driver and gunner.

Bowker said his nephew took a break from the military to work in the northern Alberta oil fields for a few years before returning to the Armed Forces in January 2008.

Bulger was also the point of contact for care packages sent to troops overseas from the Buckhorn community centre.

Nancy Fairweather, the centre's president, met Bulger a year ago and remembers him as a tall but gentle person.

"He was about six feet, a little on the shy side and a very, very nice, kind human being," she said.

Bulger's mother was working at Trent University on Friday morning when military officials arrived with the news and escorted her home. Another officer was with Bulger's wife in Edmonton.

"I have lots to say but I probably can't get it out right now," Bowker said. "His loss is deeply felt."

Bulger was the third Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan in less than a month.