We regret to announce the passing of our Dad, Art Jaccard who left us peacefully on October 27, 2025, at Gemstone Care Center in Kamloops where he has resided over the past year.
Dad was born on December 13, 1930 in Leask, Saskatchewan, a small farming community located west of Prince Albert. He was the youngest of 4 children born of Herman and Blanche Jaccard. His siblings included Raymond, Lou and Lucy, all of whom have predeceased him.
Dad’s life in Leask was all about hard work on the family farm to make ends meet and enduring the very tough conditions inherent in North Central Saskatchewan. Dad often spoke of the small farmhouse that lacked power and running water, and how they would get to school each day by way of horse and carriage. These challenging conditions left their mark on the family at the expense of Dad’s younger brother Paul who died of pneumonia at the age of four as access to medical aid and modern-day medicine either did not exist or was difficult to access.
The family later moved to North Vancouver, BC where father Herman worked at the shipyards in Burrard Inlet while mother Blanche tended to a growing family. Dad graduated from North Vancouver High School in 1947, after participating in the Vancouver Junior Symphony orchestra as a violinist and being a competitive track and field competitor. Following high school Dad entered an apprenticeship program as an auto mechanic which formed the basis of his work career in the late 40’s and early 50’s. Soon after he took a job with Fleck Brothers Ltd., an industrial wholesale business located in downtown Vancouver, where he started as a
warehouseman, and later moving to an inside sales role.
During his late teens and through his 20’s Dad played competitive baseball where he played with the Burnaby Athletics, eventually leading to an invitation to the St. Louis Browns baseball camp. Although he did not advance to the professional ranks, he continued to play at a high level well into his 30’s, alongside brother-in-law Jim Kelly. During this time, Dad met a young lady named Jeannine Lapointe who was a registered nurse at Lions Gate hospital. They met during a time when Dad was being treated for a broken leg following a motorcycle accident. The two were married in 1956 and soon after began the construction of a house in the Mt. Seymour area of North Vancouver. They built the house paycheck by paycheck, all while Dad worked full time.
When the house was ready to move in, they began having a family with the addition of sons Michael, Richard and Steven. Somewhere during this period, Dad became the owner of a hike in cabin on Mt. Seymour where the family spent quality time together in the North Shore mountain backcountry. Dad, being a huge sports fan, played an active role in coaching the kids in baseball and soccer while often being a season ticket holder with the BC Lions and Vancouver Canucks. Dad’s job took the family to Kamloops in 1973 where he initially assumed a position in outside sales, later being promoted to Branch Manager with Fleck. The family resided on the North Shore of Kamloops where their home remains with the family to thepresent day. Golf was high on the list for Dad as he held a membership at Kamloops Golf and Country Club for many years. Dad eventually retired in 1992 after 40 years with Fleck. He and wife Jeannine lived a textbook retirement with good health, an abundance of travel throughout North America in their fifth wheel trailer, as well as numerous trips to Europe, South America,
Asia and Australia / New Zealand. They truly loved their travel and did lots of it into their 80’s, where they established long term relationships with fellow travellers. Dad also remained an active participant in Senior’s Slow Pitch well into his 70’s, which included the BC Senior’s Games, Canada Senior’s Games and many other events.
Dad was a wonderful father-in-law to the boy’s spouses when they came into the family, and a loving grandparent to 10 grandkids and 8 great grandkids. In the later years, Dad and Jeannine took residence at Riverbend seniors complex in Kamloops until 2024 when Dad’s age began to take its toll on his ability to live independently. Dad lived the last year of his life at Gemstone under loving care and comfort, with family visiting him often. Regretfully his wife Jeannine passed away just three months ago after 68 incredible years of marriage.
Dad passed away peacefully the morning after attending a family dinner celebrating Jeannine’s birthday immediately following her passing, and is survived by sons Michael and spouse Brenda, Richard and spouse Maria and Steven and spouse Susae, grandkids Mathew, Christopher, Shaela, Siara, Shannae, Kimberly, Daniel, Nathan, Cody, as well as his beloved great grandchildren, Olivia, Henry, Benjamin, James, Aria, Alice, Damien and Kaleigh. We believe that there is something to be said for the theory of dying from a broken heart, as he loved his wife dearly. While we are sad to say goodbye, we are so forever grateful that the two of them lived a long and fulfilled life. The family would like to give its sincerest thanks to the many friends and family who have reached out since Dad’s passing, and all the wonderful people at both Riverbend and Gemstone facilities. Details regarding a Celebration of Life remain to be determined at this point.
Condolences may be sent to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com
