'He thrived on supporting us'; Aylmer, Ont. man killed in crash remembered as family man
Family and friends describe Jake Epp as 'hard working, and family oriented.'
The 26-year-old from Aylmer, Ont. was on his way to a job site, like he did every day to support his family, when he was killed in a crash on Colonel Talbot Rd. in the South end of London, Ont. July 15.
"I can't wrap my head around it but he's not here," says Mary Epp, Jake's widow.
"It feels unreal, it feels like a dream that I'm not waking up from."
Jake was employed at Concretus Specialties Ltd. in Komoka, Ont., for the past year and quickly rose the ranks in his field to senior finisher. He only worked there for a year but made a significant impact on his boss and co-workers.
"He was a great guy to work with," says Josh Fleming owner of Concretus.
"For him to come to work every day with a smile on his face, bring a great attitude and never complain, that is the biggest thing that I think we'll all miss. Everybody fought to have Jake on their team just to make your day a bit better."
The Epp's met as teenagers ten years ago and now have four young girls, all of them six and under. He is described as a man who would grind it out everyday for his family.
"There's not a day where he would complain that he would have to support us," says Mary.
"He thrived on supporting us. It was his whole life. He was a hard working man, and everyone knew it."
Mary was a stay-at-home mom, so an online fundraiser has been set up by friends to support the family.
It has quickly raised more than $75,000, $40,000 of which was donated by his Concretus work family.
Jake Epp, Mary Epp and four girls (submitted)
"The messages have been flowing in everyday and it's made it so much easier," says Mary.
"It's not an easy road, but I am so grateful for the support that I have got from everyone, through it all."
A visitation for friends will be held in Aylmer on Monday. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday in Tillsonburg, Ont.
"We have guys that have put together shirts for the cause and we have guys that are putting stickers on the trucks to attend the funeral on Tuesday," says Fleming.
"The hardest thing is that Jake Epp was one of the guys that everybody begged to have on their site because of his positive attitude. His cheer, really good humor and hard work so it's really hard on everyone. He's really affected everyone here."
Mary is appreciative of everything Fleming and the company have done for her since Jake started working there.
"I'm so thankful that he had found a job that he finally loved and a boss that he loved," says Mary.
"It means so much that he had worked there, even if it was for a short period of time. I am just thankful that he was on his way to somewhere that he enjoyed going and he enjoyed the people that he worked with."
Mary says it's still a struggle to believe her husband of nearly seven years is gone.
"The last couple of days has been kind of a blur and it'll take time to heal," she says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.