It was just over two weeks ago that my wife Kim and I spent the evening with Jake and Lydia Epp talking about family, reminiscing about shared acquaintances and, of course, talking about politics. Jake Epp, the former Member of Parliament for Provencher and federal Cabinet Minister, was filled with gratitude for his many experiences as he talked about the opportunities God had given him in his life. While we had a truly wonderful evening together, we were just the warmup for the dinner two days later at the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum where he was the guest speaker at the annual gala. The opportunity to return home to speak to a room filled with friends and supporters was one he looked forward to and had spent a great deal of time preparing for.
As with all of the visits we had over the past years, Jake was insightful, he was caring, and he was gracious. And then, just a few days later we received the shocking news that he was gone, having passed away unexpectedly.
For his wife Lydia, daughter Lisa and his granddaughters Melissa and Mackenzie, this was the loss of someone who both profoundly loved and influenced them. For many others, it was the loss of someone who was admired as a leader with integrity and grace both in the political and in the corporate world. For Kim and I, Jake Epp was someone who showed us kindness and support and was instrumental in helping us navigate the ups and downs of public life.
In my early years as an MLA, I was often surprised when Mr. Epp would stop by the Manitoba Legislature on his visits to the province to say hello to “his MLA.” Having lived in Alberta for many years, I was far from his MLA, but it had the dual effect of encouraging me and reminding me that Steinbach was still very much his home. He always had questions about the current provincial political landscape and never left without a word of encouragement. I was always appreciative of these visits.
In more recent years, particularly during a difficult political time several years back, he and his wife Lydia made a concerted effort to spend time with us when they visited Manitoba. These were incredibly meaningful times as they both understood the challenges and importance of public service and offered invaluable support and advice to me and Kim. And always, above all else, Jake Epp stressed the importance of family, and he demonstrated that in his own life.
To this point in this article, I’ve said very little about the many political and personal accomplishments of Jake Epp’s remarkable life and career. This is partly because there simply isn’t space given the extraordinary life he led. From his early life as a Steinbach school teacher and then City Councillor, he became a federal Member of Parliament, a Cabinet Minister, the Vice-President of TransCanada Pipelines Ltd, the Chairman of Ontario Power Generation, Chairman of Health Partners International Canada and a member of the Order of Canada. He was trusted counsel for Prime Ministers and for leaders in business and charity. It is not an overstatement to say through health policy and international organizations, Jake positively impacted millions of lives.
And yet for me and Kim, what we will remember most about Jake Epp was that he cared enough to check in, to see how we were doing, to offer advice, to share openly and honestly about good and bad experiences and to be a continuing voice of encouragement. He had much reason to be proud of his accomplishments, but he seemed genuinely more interested in how others were doing.
Because of the positions he held in politics, he forever held the title of “Honourable”. But he earned it more so by leading an honourable life that was guided by integrity and centered around caring about others. And we were grateful to have been beneficiaries of his remarkable life. We will truly miss him.
My wife Kim and I offer, on behalf of all Manitobans, our deepest sympathies to his wife Lydia, his daughter Lisa and his granddaughters Melissa and Mackenzie.
