The 42-year-old Surrey man who was gunned down during a home invasion last weekend fought to give his family more time to hide, according to a heartbreaking message from his wife.

It was shortly before midnight Sunday when local realtor Colin Hill discovered someone trying to break into their home on 64th Avenue near 166th Street.

Few details of the ensuing struggle have been released by police, but Hill’s wife posted a message to Facebook early Tuesday painting him as a hero who sacrificed himself for his family’s safety.

He was the “very best husband a person could ever ask for,” Becky Zhou wrote.

Zhou said her husband tried blocking their door to keep the intruder outside the house, but lost the struggle. He then yelled out a warning that the robber was armed, and tried to force the trespasser back outside to give his loved ones an opportunity to find a safe place.

Hill was fatally shot and died at the scene.

“All other family [members] are safe,” Zhou wrote.

At the family home, Hill’s father called him a “standup guy” who lived for his family.

“He was the greatest guy in the world,” he said. “It’s tragic loss and life will never be the same.”

Police said the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle they later determined was stolen. Hours later, officers arrested a 22-year-old man while responding to a report of an armed man trying to break into a Burnaby apartment.

Khouri Lamar Green, a Surrey resident with an extensive criminal record, has since been charged with second-degree murder in Hill’s slaying.

Green appeared in court Tuesday morning, and is scheduled to return on Sept. 14.

Court documents reveal the young man has a criminal pattern: He has no problem breaking into people’s homes, and has shown little willingness to change his behaviour.

Police said there’s no connection between Hill and the suspect, and Sunday’s home invasion appears to have been random.

Hill has been described as a hard-working father and husband whose death has left the community in shock.

“There is no question these are the most painful moments a family can endure. For police, they’re also the hardest,” Surrey RCMP Chief Supt. Bill Fordy said at a press conference Monday.

“While we’re confident we’ve quickly taken the person responsible for this senseless crime into custody, I’m still angry at this pointless loss of life.”

Hill’s murder isn't related to any of the previous shootings that have taken place in Surrey and Delta over the past several months either, according to police.