Jacob Stewart McVeigh

It is with profound heartbreak that our family announces the unexpected passing of our beloved Jacob Stewart McVeigh on August 23, 2026, at just 35 years old.

Jacob is, and always will be, a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, coworker, and friend. He is forever loved.

Jacob was incredibly smart, fiercely loyal, kind and loving. He had an enormous heart, loved deeply, and family meant everything to him.

And then there was his wonderfully warped sense of humour.

With his quick wit, mischievous smile, and ability to find humour in the unexpected, Jacob could make people laugh in a way that was unmistakably his.

Jacob was immensely proud of his work as a sprinkler-fitter and of the expertise he developed in his trade. He took pride in working hard, doing a job properly, and being professional with customers and contractors. He was a proud member of UA Local 170.

His work also gave him something particularly special: the opportunity to work alongside his dad. To Jacob, Pat wasn’t only his dad; he was also his boss, his friend and his mentor. Jacob valued the work they did together and everything his dad taught him, both on the job and in life. Their relationship crossed the boundaries between family and work in a way that gave them a bond uniquely their own. Jacob loved his dad, looked up to him, and treasured the years they spent working side by side.

But the Jacob his family knew went far beyond his work.

Jacob was a loving son. The bond between Jacob and his mom began long before he took his first breath. In a journal she started while pregnant with him, she wrote about hearing her first baby’s heartbeat, waiting for him to arrive, and how deeply he was already loved. After he was born, she wrote that she felt blessed that Jacob had chosen her to be his mom. More than 35 years later, she still feels exactly the same way.

Jacob will always hold an irreplaceable place in the lives of Max and Taylor. With Max, there was the unmistakable bond of brothers who grew up side by side, a relationship filled with laughter, loyalty, shared history and the kind of connection only brothers understand. To Taylor, Jacob is her big brother: gentle, loving and protective. No matter where life took them, they are his family, and he loved them endlessly.

Since his passing, our family has received story after story about things Jacob did for other people, acts of kindness and generosity, moments when he helped someone who was struggling, and memories that have made us laugh through our tears. Some are stories his family had never heard before. They have become precious gifts to us.

Jacob was compassionate. He was funny. He was stubborn. He was mischievous. He was intelligent. He was imperfect, as all of us are, and he was perfect in every way that mattered.

And he is so very, very loved. 💙

For his mom, there has always been a colour for each of her children. Taylor is the yellowest, Max the reddest, and Jacob is, and always will be, the bluest, like the endless, deep blue ocean. Blue will always be Jacob’s colour. 💙

Jacob leaves behind his heartbroken parents, Carrie and Patrick (Pat); his brother, Mackenzie “Max”; his sister, Taylor, and her husband, Lliam; as well as his grandmothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, coworkers and many friends whose lives he touched during his 35 years.

Among those who went before Jacob were his grandmother, Karen Jean Clark; his grandfathers, Charles Cleveland McVeigh and Patrick Wayne Clark; his aunt, Linda Daryl McVeigh; and, most recently, his beloved uncle and namesake, Stewart “Tod” McVeigh.

And because family isn’t always human, we find some comfort in imagining Jacob reunited with the many four-legged members of his family who went before him: Brandy, Emma, TJ, Marcus, Bentley and Zeus. Left behind are his beloved pups, Keelo, MJ, and Lavender. Oh, how Jacob cherished them. Words cannot describe that love.

Jacob leaves us with many memories that could never fit into an obituary: childhood sleepovers with cousins, birthdays and family adventures, school days, pets, inside jokes, laughter, work stories, difficult days survived, handwritten messages, cards, and countless ordinary moments that have suddenly become extraordinary because we would give anything to have just one of them back.

Thirty-five years was nowhere near enough. But we will be forever grateful for the 35 years we were blessed to have Jacob here with us.

Our family has established the Jacob Stewart McVeigh Memorial Fund so that something meaningful can continue in Jacob’s name. The fund will support opportunities in the skilled trades Jacob was so proud to be part of, as well as help provide access to inpatient treatment for those struggling with substance use disorder.

It is our hope that Jacob’s legacy will give another person an opportunity to build a future, and another family the chance for more time with someone they love.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honour Jacob are invited to share and contribute to the Jacob Stewart McVeigh Memorial Fund.

Jacob Stewart McVeigh Memorial Fund 💙

https://www.gofundme.com/f/jacob-stewart-mcveigh-memorial-fund