Rudy Wiebe

Rudy Wiebe – beloved husband, father, “Papa”, brother, and uncle – left us far too soon on February 5, 2021 at age 69. Our grief at this sudden and unexpected loss is beyond something that can be captured in words. He was quite possibly the best human that any of us have ever known. Kind, generous, funny, humble, athletic, industrious – he was the best father and grandfather that we could have asked for. He leaves behind his wife of 47 years, Hilda Wiebe, his four children, Mark (Kristin), Rachel (Jon), Jenna (Will), and Chris (Sachiko), and eight grandchildren who utterly adored him: Amina, Jesiah, Callum, Calia, Makoa, and Aiyla—with another grandbaby on the way.

A basketball and baseball star in his youth, Rudy loved sports, and brought that love of athletics into all his activities with his grandkids. He loved to run and cycle and dance, and he couldn’t wait to use his brand-new hip. He also loved to travel, and in his retirement went all over the world with his wife – including Italy, Australia, Croatia, England, and Colombia.

He was the biggest fan of all of his children and grandchildren, attending sporting events and graduations and plays and concerts – he was always there for us, no matter what. Whether we needed some extra money for bills or advice on a renovation or just a big hug, Dad was always there. He helped his adult children with many projects – backyard decks, new kitchens, furniture – and he built beautiful wooden chests, boxes, toys, and many other amazing creations.

Despite his quiet personality, he was highly competitive and loved to play card games and water balloon fights with the grandkids. He would make buckets of water balloons for weeks ahead of time when he knew they were coming. He made the best scavenger hunts when his own children were younger, sending us all over the forest to find and decipher clues. He and Hilda created “Omi and Papa camp” for the four oldest grandkids (the “Crazy Cousin Crew”) for several summers, taking them to pools and waterslides and farms and playgrounds until everyone was exhausted.

We could write a book on the legacy that Rudy Wiebe left behind. There are not enough words. There was definitely not enough time. He was our hero, our protector, our provider, our love. He was our guide and role model of how a man should be as a father, husband, Papa, and friend. He was kind, gentle, loving, patient, athletic, adventurous, creative, intelligent, driven, and one of the most thoughtful people we have ever known.

He always put others first and sacrificed everything for us. He had a gift of always being fully present no matter what was going on in life. He was Papa, the legend.

You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. Your love will live on through us, your wife, your children, and your grandchildren. We all carry a piece of your love for our remaining time here on earth until we see you again. Thank you for the impact you had on our lives and loving us with your entire being. We have a gaping hole in our lives from losing you, but we have also gained so much because we had you in our lives.