Jacob was a passionate environmentalist, a traveler, musician, a prankster and great lover of people and places. His life was rich and meaningful, and he leaves a wonderful legacy of kindness, friendship, humour and love that will continue for generations to come.

Jacob’s impact on people’s lives is best described by the people themselves. Ask a family member or friend, “In one word, how would you describe Jacob?”, and you’ll hear words like “self-less”, “dependable” and “confidant”. Ask an acquaintance, and you’ll hear words like “kind”, “caring” and “energetic”. Jacob had a tendency to make a stranger feel like a best friend within moments of meeting him. His utter and complete focus on the people around him, his ability to truly listen and unconditionally love every person he met, irrespective of a person’s faults or mistakes, made Jacob someone irreplaceable.

Jacob’s impact on the environment was vast. Beginning with amateur accomplishments like setting a good example for the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle movement and coercing friends and family to think about and act in line with environmental sustainability, Jacob decided to go pro and commenced his studies in geography and environmental studies. He soon moved onto projects that required more dedication like his multiple cross-country trips to help with the reforestation efforts in British Columbia. Motivated further by the positive change he had accomplished, Jacob volunteered to incite both positive environmental and societal change, helping Nicaraguan communities build sustainable power and irrigation systems. Jacob continued his life work through his employment as an Environmental Advisor at Ontario Power Generation and as the Sustainability Manager at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Jacob’s life, tragically cut short, was filled with the love of his wife and family, as well as numerous friends and colleagues, in Canada and abroad.

Jacob’s actions and support for his family, friends and the environment will be felt for eternity.