Jamie Weberg loved his family and helping people in his community.
Both lost Weberg, who died of bone cancer at age 36 on June 28.
“It was a long fight for him. He went through a lot. He never complained,” said Weberg’s father-in-law Bruce Jensen. “All through that he still wanted to serve other people and do his job as best he could for as long as he could.”
Weberg leaves behind his wife Kristin of 10 years, as well as daughter Emma, six, and son Jensen, three. He’s described as a person who made sure others were cared for and looked after. Weberg loved spending time with his family, whether it was riding bikes, going to the beach, taking road trips to the prairies (he grew up in Canwood, Sask.,) skating, playing recreation hockey or enjoying music. He also loved riding his ATV that was built for speed.
“It scared everybody out here to ride with him,” joked Jensen.
Weberg made a huge impact on the community as a pastor for the Penticton Church of the Nazarene, youth pastor at Penticton Bethel Church and chaplain for the Penticton Vees.
“He had the ability to connect with every age group. He was a people person in the truest sense,” said Church of the Nazarene pastor Neil Allenbrand, who worked with him for 11 years. “He always made people feel valued, important. He was not a man of many words. He was a man of many actions.”
Another side of Weberg was his sense of humour. Allenbrand said he had a way of bringing humour to almost every circumstance, even while holed up in the Kelowna hospital going through radiation treatment.
Weberg cared. Whenever he saw a person in need, he was there. If he saw somebody down, he was there to encourage.
Penticton Vees president Fred Harbinson said Weberg took it to another level when it came to helping the hockey players.
“He was a huge part of what we have been doing here,” said Harbinson of his friend. “It’s going to be sad to not have him around. It’s going to be a big hole because he really connected with the players. He gave them an outlet.”
Harbinson said that Weberg gave without wanting anything in return, except for friendship. Vees players returned the favour on Monday. A group visited the family and his father-in-law watched as they hung out with Emma and her brother.
“They played street hockey with them and hung out. That is pretty special,” said Jensen.
“These guys just really loved him because he loved them,” said Allenbrand. “He genuinely cared about them.”
Weberg told the Western News in an interview in February 2014 that getting outside the church setting to help was simply a way he felt he could help more.
“A lot of the time it’s the highlight of the week,” Weberg said.. “A lot of times you are working with the church and in the church. This is just an opportunity to just step outside of that and go and be a part of something different. I just like it.”
Former Vees co-captain Cody DePourcq described Weberg was an inspiration.
“He touched the hearts of many and he’s someone I looked up to very much,” said DePourcq. “He was never doing anything for himself. It was always for someone else. Putting a smile on someone else’s face.”
When Weberg died, the players took to Twitter to write about their friend.
“The world lost one of the most honest and genuine people yesterday. You were family to me Jamie and I know that even though you’re gone now you’ll always be watching over me and always be with me. I love you brother,” wrote Vees player Patrick Sexton.