Steinbach mourns the death of former MP Jake Epp

Those who knew former Provencher MP Jake Epp say it’s his kindness, faith and love for his family they’ll miss most of all.

Arthur Jacob (Jake) Epp died July 5 at the age of 85.

Born in 1939, Epp was a high school history teacher, city councillor and deputy mayor, and MP for Provencher from 1972 to 1993. He served on cabinet and was Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Minister of National Health and Welfare and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources.

He also followed his political career with positions including senior executive of Trans Canada Pipelines and chair of the board of directors of Ontario Power Generation.

He leaves to mourn his wife Lydia, daughter Lisa Epp-Coleman and two granddaughters.

Though his public life is well known, his daughter Lisa said there are other things they’ll remember fondly, including his dedication to family.

“It didn’t matter if he had an important call from the Prime Minister, dealing with the pressures of having high profile cabinet posts, working on campaigns, helping people in Provencher with matters, going to Afghanistan during the war, or the intensity of the Iraq war and his personal safety during this time, I always knew he would drop everything for me,” Epp-Coleman said. “He always made me feel loved and important. The security of knowing that my dad was always my biggest supporter has shaped me to feel loved and important.”

Epp-Coleman said her father placed great value on education and opened their eyes to the bigger world through his travels to Russia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea and more.

“He taught us to be proud of being a Canadian and showed us how fortunate we were to have the securities and opportunities Canada gives us,” she said. “He emphasized to be grateful for democracy and choice and for us to see firsthand how many people don’t have the freedoms and opportunities we have.”

He was also supportive of his family, encouraging them to excel in life.

“He never allowed us to say no when faced with challenges,” she said. “He taught us the value of hard work, diligence and persistence.”

However, Epp-Coleman will also remember him as a father who made time to have fun.

“He was quick with a laugh and enjoyed teasing, teaching me how to play volleyball, golfing a few holes of golf when he arrived back home from Ottawa. We would talk and catch up on the week and share the success and trials of the week,” she added. “Of course, this was always followed up with an ice cream or a slurpee.”

Epp-Coleman said his faith was also important.

“Most importantly he always prayed for us and lead us by example with his steadfast faith,” she said. “When faced with adversities and challenges he remained calm and confident.”

Remembering him as a man of faith is also Provencher MP Ted Falk, who said he remembers Jake when his family moved to Steinbach in 1975 and Ted’s father was the pastor of the church that Jake attended.

“Probably one of the things I admired a lot about Mr. Epp is how he interwove his faith in his political role and how important his family was to him,” he said. “Those were things that impressed me as a young man and things that actually attracted me to the work that he did. His faith informed his position on issues.”

Epp’s commitment to the pro-life movement is also something the Falk remembers.

But no matter the topic, Falk said Epp brought the same approach.

“He was always a real gentleman and a statesman,” he said. “He carried himself very well physically but also his social interaction posture was always one of being inquisitive, genuinely concerned and always kind.”

Falk said he was happy to have heard Epp speak at the Mennonite Heritage Village Gala, where he quoted American theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer who famously asked the question, “How then shall we live?”

“His conclusion was that we should certainly live with an attitude and a lifestyle of thankfulness,” he said. “I think it’s extremely fitting he would have had his final public address in Steinbach at the Mennonite Heritage Village.”

Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen also expressed his condolences.

In a Facebook post, Goertzen said he and his wife Kim were fortunate to get to know Jake and his wife Lydia on a more personal level in the last few years.

He recalled an invitation to supper during a particularly difficult time in Goertzen’s political life.

“What followed was a three-hour supper with Jake and Lydia that gave insight, wisdom and peace to Kim and I in a way that I will always be grateful for,” he wrote. “Jake and Lydia truly positively impacted our lives that night by being open, honest and caring.”

The City of Steinbach issued a press release Monday, stating that flags would be lowered to half mast until the day of the funeral service.

Epp served two years on city council beginning in 1970 and was appointed to the position of deputy mayor by former Mayor A.D. Penner.

Deputy Mayor Michael Zwaagstra had also praised Epp, both in his weekly Carillon column called Think Again and in opening remarks at the July 2 council meeting.

“Simply put, the man is a living legend,” he said then. “Epp is a great example of someone who went into politics for the right reasons, made a positive difference while there, and got out with his integrity intact.”

Mayor Earl Funk described Epp as “an inspiration to all of us in politics” and an instrumental force in the community’s growth.

“He was raised in Steinbach, right on Main Street, invested in our youth as an educator, served on council, and then went on to represent Steinbach and the Southeast for over 20 years at the national level,” Funk said. “Despite all of his successes, he remained humble and grounded, never forgetting his roots.”

A visitation is scheduled for July 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel in Steinbach.

The memorial service will be held on July 22 at 11 a.m. at Crossview Church, at 345 Loewen Boulevard.