Obituary for
Jake Vachon
Jake Vachon was born in Timmins on August 30, 1990. From the ages of two to seven, Jake lived in the small town of Manitouwadge with his sister and parents, and afterward, grew up in Timmins where he spent lots of time with his large and loving Vachon family, created many lifelong friendships, and lived the last 12 years of his life with the woman of his dreams.
As a kid, Jake loved piggyback rides from his sister Jen, wrestling with his brothers Ray and Justin, fishing trips with Dad, and having books read to him by Mom. He was a fan, to say the least, of Barney the dinosaur and, later on, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
As he got older he was always outside biking, playing road hockey or basketball with neighbourhood friends, snowboarding, skateboarding, and playing video games. He loved hanging out with his cousins Nick, Jer, and Pete, and spending time with friends Andy, Graham, Tom, and so many others.
Jake graduated from O’Gorman High School in 2008 where the time he spent playing basketball was near and dear to his heart – as was, of course, participating in boys’ basketball team shenanigans.
As a teenager, Jake went from being a shoe salesman to a general landscaper, and then moved on to The Brick where he delivered furniture and eventually worked his way up to warehouse manager. Jake was the most dedicated, most respectful, and hardest worker – always providing service with that big beautiful smile of his, mentoring the new guys not only in work but also in life, and becoming more of a family member than a co-worker to Al and Perry with mutual compassion, shared respect, and the ability to teach one another.
At the age of 19, Jake met Dom, the love of his life, and they’ve been by each other’s side ever since. Jake and Dom complemented each other well – Dom being pragmatic while Jake was the eternal optimist; both of them equally good-humoured and quirky. They were both committed to being honest and respectful with each other. He was a wonderful father to his fur babies Kenzie and little River, and was very much looking forward to the next chapter of their lives where Jake and Dom were planning on growing their family.
Jake and Dom were the glue that held our family together: always welcoming people into their warm, love-filled home and camp for holidays, birthdays, game nights, and sleepovers with the nieces. Always willing to hold the before-party, party-party, and after-party, Jake and Dom would host their friends and families for campfires, storytelling, and mingling, where everyone at some point would be the butt of Jake’s harmless and cute jokes. Being around the many people he loved made Jake happiest, and people in turn loved being around him for how he made them feel.
Jake looked forward to his personal training sessions each week where he would pump iron to 90s hip-hop with Dom, Jen, and brother-in-law Jon. He loved dancing. As a kid, Jake could be found doing the “jig” around the campfire and as an adult he could be counted on to get everyone up on the dancefloor (young and old, strangers and friends/family, men and women) and swing them around, “dirty” dancing when appropriate (or not), and truly have the most fun. Jake loved being active andshooting hoops. He treasured his time playing men’s league basketball with Ray, Justin, and Pete. Recently, Jake found enjoyment in fishing and was trying to incorporate more of it into his life.
Travels to the Dominican Republic, Montreal, and Texas were highlights as Jake really enjoyed experiencing new places, learning about other cultures, and seeing how people live differently. Escaping Timmins winters was a bonus.
Jake’s paradise was his camp, where he could see the lake from his deck, hang out on his dock with the sun on his face, sit by a fire at night, and feel at peace with the world. Jake deeply valued his camp family and the opportunities to learn from one another while helping each other with projects.
Jake took pride in the life he made with Dom, his relationships, work, camp, home, and his dogs. He was the most thoughtful and positive person you could ever meet. He was always thinking for other people and putting everyone’s desires and needs ahead of his own, sometimes to his own detriment. Jake always had an open mind and was willing to learn something new about himself or about life. He was safe, caring, and warm. He was the first to admit when he was wrong. Jake rooted for the underdog, always gave people the benefit of the doubt, and treated literally every person he met with the utmost respect.
It is with profound sadness and heartache that family and friends said goodbye to Jake on August 14, 2021 at the age of 30.
Jake is survived by his beloved fiancée Dominique Mongeon and sweet fur babies Kenzie and River; loving parents Rodger Vachon (Julie) and Roberta Vachon (Yvon); cherished older siblings Ray LaRue (Angèle), Justin LaRue (Leah), and Jen Vachon (Jon); precious granny Ruth Millette (Hubert); much-loved nieces Camryn, Payton, Kendell, and Macey; treasured aunts, uncles, and cousins; caring in-laws; and so many true-blue friends.
Jake will be forever and lovingly remembered. He is tragically and unjustly gone too soon and had far more life to live, but there is comfort in knowing that Jake will live on in countless people through his profound inspiration and influence. In the way he lived his day-to-day life, Jake exemplified the value of humility, the power of advocating for yourself and for others, and the importance of not judging a book by its cover. He loved so incredibly hard and will be missed even harder.
Jake was truly his sister’s biggest fan and supported her in anything she did, including her work as Executive Director of Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins (ACT). Jake fundraised and walked each year in ACT’s Coldest Night of the Year event and he believed in ACT’s mission to increase access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food while also expanding knowledge surrounding food choices. Without a doubt, Jake would have wanted any donations made in his name to go to ACT. To make a donation online, please go to:
www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/anti-hunger-coalition-timmins/
or mail a cheque to: 3-71 Balsam St. S., Timmins ON, P4N 2C9. Flowers maybe sent to 1643 Government Road North, Timmins ON, P4R 0G6.
Visitation will take place at 1643 Government Road North on Friday, August 20. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we ask that people wishing to attend register for a 30-minute time slot between 12:00 and 3:30 by going to:
bookingsjv.simplybook.me/v2/
Please respect mask and physical distancing rules. Due to limited parking, please attend in as few vehicles as possible.
Immediate family and close friends will be invited to a private celebration of life ceremony to take place after visitation. We are limited to the number of people who can attend due to COVID-19, so the celebration of life will also be live-streamed from 4:30 to 5:00 at:
youtu.be/PISZCmbyPBQ
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Jake
Vachon 1990 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Timmins, Province: Ontario