Jacob Rempel

REMPEL, Jacob was born on February 22, 1931. He passed away on March 19, 2024 at The Heights at Mount View in Victoria, British Columbia. He was 93 years old.

Jacob is survived by his wife Elsie Rempel of 59 years(nee Edwards), his children Susan Katherina (Katya) Rempel and Michael Greene, Elsa Rempel and Franz Linnebach, Lavera Rempel and Ron Johnstone, as well as his grandchildren Nikolai Johnstone and Jack Greene. He also leaves behind his brother Ben Rempel and his wife Helen Rempel (nee Dyck) as well as a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. His kindness and warm smile will be sorely missed.

Jacob was predeceased by his brothers Bill, and John and his sisters Helen, Katharine, Margaret and Agatha.

Jake graduated from the Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna, Manitoba. He completed his Bachelor of Arts and his Bachelor of Education at the University of Saskatchewan. Jake then began his career in education working as a principal at the Flowerville School in Swift Current and the Carnduff Public School in Carnduff, Saskatchewan. He also worked as a junior high school teacher at the Altona Secondary School, in Manitoba. Jake continued his graduate research in Community Education with a special interest in Native Education at the University of Saskatchewan and his research was published in “Canadian Psychologist, 1961”.

Jake met his wife Elsie in Manitoba where she had studied Education at the University of Manitoba and was working as a teacher. Elsie had travelled to Canada from her home in Guyana and the two of them soon found common interests in politics, a love of books, art and learning, and for discovering and exploring new cultures beyond their own. They were married in 1965 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and drove out to BC together to begin their new life together and to build their family.

Jake had been hired by the Correctional Services of Canada and began working as an Associate Instructor at the Mountain Institution, the BC Penitentiary and eventually Matsqui Institution where he took great satisfaction in guiding his students to complete their High School Diplomas and to pursue further studies. He himself continued to work on graduate studies in the field of Curriculum and Administration at UBC and SFU. Jacob also spent a year teaching in an American school in Libya where he was able to explore and learn about a new culture and a new part of the world.

He had a passion for teaching and learning throughout his life. He was endlessly curious and wanted to learn everything he could about the world. All of his daughters learned to read sitting on his lap and spent many happy hours reading and sharing books together. As a family, Jake and Elsie and their daughters enjoyed going to museums, art galleries, theatre, music and dance productions. The house was filled with all sorts of music and they loved sharing meals from both of their cultures and inviting others to join them. Jake was known for his kindness and compassion. He cared deeply about people, their lives and their stories. He loved nothing better than spending time talking and sharing ideas with others and was always pleased to meet someone new. He was good listener and he always had time for a chat. Many have been blessed by his warm smile and kind words.

Jacob was very active in politics for years, even running for School Board in both Abbotsford and Vancouver at different times in his life. Having been inspired by Tommy Douglas early in his life while president of the “CCF Youth” (now known as the NDP), Jacob believed it was vitally important to be an engaged citizen and to work together as a society to make people’s lives better, especially those who are the most vulnerable in our world.

Jacob was a loving and devoted father, husband and grandfather. He found his greatest joy in spending time with his family and was never happier than when he was surrounded by his friends and loved ones.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at the Boal Chapel in North Vancouver at 1505 Lillooet Rd.

Service – Saturday, August 10 at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Alzheimer Society of Canada or The BC Diabetes Foundation.

Service can be seen online at: https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/96562