"Jesse was a wonderful father, husband, son, and soldier,” the statement said.
“He was a proud Patricia and loved what he did. Our families are grieving and we ask you to respect our privacy at this time."
Tait leaves behind a wife and two sons. He was a graduate of Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School and attended Cambrian College's police foundations program.
He was a member of the 2964 Walden Irish army cadet corps as a teen, excelling at biathlon, and joined the military in 2002. Tait was also a talented bagpiper.
The soldier was interviewed by NorthernLife.ca a few times in the last decade.
The first time was in 2005, when he was named the One Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (OCMBG) top combat soldier for 2005.
Tait, who also served a tour of duty in Bosnia in 2003, was interviewed by NorthernLife.ca shortly before he was posted to Afghanistan in 2008.
“What am I most worried about?” he said during a conversation with NorthernLife.ca. “I don’t even think about it, because I’d probably go insane. Sometimes there are accidents, sometimes it’s deliberate, and sometimes it’s friendly fire. Afghanistan is just a dangerous place to be.”
Tait's funeral is set for Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. at the Church of the Epiphany.
