It is with profound sadness that the family of Wesley Gene Zacharias announce his peaceful passing surrounded by loved ones in North Battleford SK on May 16, 2024, at the age of 72 years.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 49 years, Wilma Zacharias; their children: son Gene (Thea) – Chetwynn, Marshall, Waylynn & Keatynn; daughter Nadine Ulrich (Kevin) – Shealynn (Brandon) and Kinsley, Nathan (Grace); daughter Roxanne Aantjes (Jacco) – John, Benjamin, Lucas, Jace, & Tommy; and son Brad; mother Tina Zacharias; brothers Glen (Carol), Rod (Lorraine); sisters Laura Regehr (Dwayne), Janice; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his father Jacob Zacharias, sisters Bernice Siemens & Josephine Cockrum, brother-in-law Leslie Wolfe, and parents-in-law Abe & Eva Dick. Wesley Gene Zacharias was born December 20, 1951, in Meadow Lake, SK to Jake & Tina Zacharias, the eldest of 4 sisters and 2 brothers. He started school at Rollo Park at age 7 and he clearly remembered the day the school house burned, along with his crayons! Dad continued his education at Green Acre School and completed his grade 12 at Carpenter High School in Meadow Lake. At the suggestion of one of his teachers, he made the decision to attend Swift Current Bible Institute where he met Wilma Dick. They were married in Drake, SK on July 20, 1974, and this summer would have celebrated their 50 Year Wedding Anniversary. They moved to Calgary, AB where Dad had several different jobs while Mom began nurses training. The opportunity to move back to his roots arose when his grandfather offered to sell him 2 quarters of land to start farming near Rapid View, SK. With the help of his dad and father-in-law, he sawed all the lumber and built their home where they raised Gene (1978), Nadine (1979), Roxanne (1981) and Bradley (1983). Dad worked on the farm, milking cows for 13 years and then switched to raising beef cattle. He enjoyed mixed farming, including raising pigs, butchering chickens, and selling eggs. He also drove the school bus for many years during which he showed no favouritism; if you weren’t ready for pick up, he wasn’t waiting, even for his own kids. Both Roxanne and Brad can attest to that.

Dad had a strong faith in God and his personal relationship with Jesus was made evident in how he lived every day. He was baptized at the Compass Immanuel Mennonite Church on June 14,1970. He took on several active roles in the church over the years including lay preaching, teaching Sunday School, and participating on church council. Besides church leadership, Dad also served on the local school board when us kids were school age and was currently a Board Member at the Door of Hope in Meadow Lake. He would unselfishly volunteer to fix and assist in projects at the Door of Hope. We knew him as a ‘Jack-of-all-Trades’; his wisdom and ability to fix almost anything was sought out by neighbours and family. It was not uncommon to have someone else’s farm equipment sitting in the yard waiting to be fixed. Dad’s selflessness was very evident as he would often fix someone else’s broken tractor before doing his own. Dad was a people person; he loved going out, even at the end when he didn’t have the strength or energy. If an opportunity arose whether it be a family reunion/birthday party, a church/community event or even just going to A&W for coffee, he didn’t let his physical discomfort show or get in the way. He had a big heart and loved people; he loved his family but most of all, he treasured each of his grandchildren and great granddaughter. He didn’t hesitate to step up to fill the void and be a fatherly figure to Shealynn and Nathan in the absence of their father. He would always say that Shealynn was his favourite granddaughter (she was the only one) and no visit was complete without a grandpa whisker rub. He napped best on the couch when surrounded by his grandsons rambunctiously playing with farm toys.Dad was a deep thinker and if you asked his advice or a question, you’d better be prepared to wait for an answer. It could take awhile for him to process and ponder before speaking. He was famous for writing his poems, odes of wisdom or just any random thoughts on newspapers, schoolwork, grandkid’s notebooks or even balloons; anything left lying around was subject to Dad’s pen. Along with his wisdom came his wit; Dad had a sense of humour and you never knew what he might come out with, like an impromptu saying, song or loud noise. An example is when Jacco asked for Roxanne’s hand in marriage, and he told him there was a no return policy. Dad had a great appreciation for music and enjoyed singing, playing his violin, guitar, and sometimes even accordion. He spent hours on YouTube listening to music, watching videos in Low German, videos on how to fix things and in the later years, ways he might ‘fix’ his progressing cancer.

After a trip to Holland in 2011, Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. This was the beginning of a 12-year journey of treatments, bi-monthly tube changes and all the pain/discomfort that came with it. He retained his sense of humour and wit throughout these years, often joking about his struggles to lighten the mood. While the medical trips to Saskatoon were many and could have been monotonous, he used the opportunity to bond and build relationships with his grandsons when he and mom stayed at the Aantjes home. When he could no longer actively work on the farm as he used to, Dad was there to watch, check on the progress of the farming activities or be an extra driver. As Gene and Brad took over most of the day-to-day farm operation, he could always be counted on to provide guidance and coffee. He loved to help out when he could, and the grandsons have many fond memories of assisting their grandpa on the farm. Dad will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by all who loved and knew him.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Rapid View Rec Centre at 2:00PM Tuesday, May 21, 2024 in Rapid View, SK. Lunch will follow. Service will be recorded and available to watch at a later date on the Eternal Memories Funeral Service website.

Private family interment will take place at 11:00 AM Highland Cemetery.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to ShareWord Global (formerly known as Gideons)

Condolences for the family may be left at www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Arrangements have been entrusted to Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium – Larissa Wack Apprentice Funeral Director, Trevor Watts Funeral Director.

• Date : 2024-05-19
• Location : Rapid View, Sk