The Jarvis Street Baptist Church was packed for Karissa Grandine’s funeral.

Ten days earlier, her husband had made a late-night call to 911, saying his pregnant wife was in distress. Karissa, 30, was pronounced dead at hospital, the Oct. 17 death listed as a drowning.

At the beginning of her funeral, the pastor acknowledged that Philip Grandine, 25, had lost his pregnant wife. Then, Karissa — who moved to Toronto from the Philippines with her family in 1994 — was remembered by her sister and a friend. Grandine did not speak.

“Many people were just trying to be objective, and just take things one step at a time and not jump to conclusions,” said Kirk Wellum, who had taught the couple at Toronto Baptist Seminary.

As principal at the seminary, Wellum called Grandine after Karissa’s death. His former student was distraught, making funeral arrangements and trying to cope with the loss. Within the church community, people knew police were investigating, and Grandine was aware people were asking questions.

“He acknowledged the situation. I didn’t press him for details, he didn’t give me any,” Wellum said.

“The only thing he acknowledged was that her family was upset with him and saying things, even at that point, making accusations . . . he would deny the truthfulness of them.”

On the night of the 911 call, neighbour Maria O’Kane was awake and not feeling well when she noticed the hubbub on Marsh Rd., in the St. Clair Ave. E.-Danforth Rd. area. She saw Grandine, who she knew as a doting husband, standing on his small front lawn with a fire crew.

“Nobody was saying anything, they were just standing around looking at him,” O’Kane said. “I said to him, ‘Philip, I’m so sorry that Karissa’s not well, and he said to me, ‘You know she’s pregnant. You know we’re having a baby, Maria?’

“He seemed kind of out of it.”

A few days later, O’Kane offered her condolences.

“He was terribly sad, looked like he was about to burst into tears and said thank you and went inside,” she said.

After that, neighbours didn’t see much of Grandine aside from regular comings and goings. Gone were the days of backyard barbecues and excited talk about the coming baby.

Neighbours saw police arrive Tuesday morning. Since then, Grandine’s periwinkle Prius sits in the driveway beside the very neat and well-kept yard.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” O’Kane said.

Wellum said Karissa was a University of Toronto student who took only one course at the seminary. They were both decent students, Karissa a well-liked friendly girl, Grandine confident and outgoing.

“He had his own way of doing things,” Wellum said.

Growing up in Paris, Ont., Grandine had been an Ontario Scholar at his high school. In 2002, he was the first male contestant in what was once called Miss Paris Fair and is now the Paris Fair Ambassador competition. He was the runner-up.

Grandine graduated from the seminary in 2007 with a bachelor of theological studies and was still taking courses toward a master of divinity degree. Recently, he had found work as a pastor at Ennerdale Road Baptist Church.

Jesse Bartz, current pastor at the church, said the congregation is in shock.

He said Grandine had resigned in the fall of 2011 before Karissa was found dead. He was not asked to quit, but Bartz would not comment on reasons for the resignation.

Bartz said Karissa had some health concerns over the years, but didn’t elaborate. “We prayed for her,” he said.

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“It was devastating enough for the church when Karissa passed away,” Bartz said. “Even to come to grips with it as a tragic accident. It’s a very shocking thing to even imagine anybody being accused of this, let alone . . . a Christian. I felt nauseated all evening when I heard about this.”

Grandine also worked at the O’Neill Centre, a long-term care retirement home where he was a nurse manager. He is currently on a leave of absence from that job, and his employer refused to clarify when that leave began.

Grandine’s next court date is May 10.