Sima Setian Pariseau and her son, Dylan Pariseau, spent Father’s Day at an Armenian church that was the center of their spiritual lives. On Tuesday, they were both dead, shot multiple times in an apparent murder-suicide, allegedly carried out by her boyfriend.
“She was a very nice person, very giving, very active with a lot of energy, all positive qualities,” said Bedros Shetilian, pastor of St. Gregory’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Springfield, where Setian Pariseau and her son, 27, were longtime congregants. “When I came here 19 years ago, he was in Sunday school. He grew up in the church ... He was very nice, everything positive. He always came to help whenever he could.”
Sima serving as the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for several years, the church said on Facebook Wednesday evening. ‘Sima’s vibrant personality and unwavering support made her a mentor and source of inspiration for the church community,” the post read.
Around 8:30 a.m., police conducting a welfare check at Setian Pariseau’s Wilbraham home found her and her son dead in the basement, authorities said. Peter Donaldson, 56, was found dead in the living room from a self-inflicted gunshot, they said.
Donaldson had been Setian Pariseau’s boyfriend for the past six years, according to Shetilian. Shetilian said he had met Donaldson on the rare occasions when he accompanied Setian Pariseau to the church for services or social events.
“Personally, I tried to be nice, but he was cold, that’s what I can tell you. He was cold. He kept his distance,” he said.
He said that Donaldson recently got laid off from his job with a printing company, and that Setian Pariseau had confided to friends at the church that she wanted to end the relationship.
“They were in the process of breaking up,” Shetilian said. “Something happened at the home and he killed them and then he shot himself.”
He said Dylan Pariseau had recently returned to live with his mother after being laid off about three months ago from a job in Cambridge.
“He was unlucky,” Shetilian said. “He was living in the Boston area ... then he was laid off three months ago. So he came back temporarily living with his mother until he finds a new job. Otherwise, he would not be there.”
Dylan Pariseau was a graduate of Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham and Keene State College in New Hampshire, according to his Facebook page.
Setian Pariseau also had an adult daughter in California, Shetilian said.
The victims’ extended family are also active members of the Armenian church, and Setian Pariseau’s brother, who is a deacon, reached out to Shetilian after he learned about the killings. He rushed home from New York City to be with the family. Shetilian said the extended family, including Setian Pariseau’s parents, is anchored in Wilbraham.
“The parents are still shocked,” he said.
The church is planning a memorial service for Setian Pariseau and her son.
In its Facebook post, the church called Sima " a beacon of light for her family and friends,” whose son was often by her side.
“The church held a significant place in their lives. May the Lord shine his light upon their souls in His eternal Kingdom, and may He grant solace to the surviving members of their family,” the post said.
John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him @JREbosglobe.