Obituary of Johny Giesbrecht

John Giesbrecht, 45, passed away on Thursday, June 6^th, 2024, in Calgary, Alberta.

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our dear son, brother and uncle Johny. He leaves behind an immeasurable wake of grief as an incredibly loved part of our lives.

John was born in Winnipeg, MB., and grew up in Steinbach, MB., with his parents and three siblings. Johny was an incredibly shy young boy and was often found clinging to his mom, especially in social settings. He was always quiet but also incredibly intelligent; he excelled at school. Growing up, he had a second brother in his cousin Dave, and he developed lifelong friendships in high school with his friends Sam, Warren, and others. Somewhere along the way he picked up the nickname ‘Fever’ and was known by that as he cruised the streets of Steinbach on his BMX.

After high school, his career in the trades started in Steinbach, and he continued in that field when he moved to Alberta in 2004, working at first with his uncles and cousins before going on his own. He was known as an incredibly skilled and intelligent tradesman and that reputation followed him his whole life.

Johny had a great love of biking, starting early in his life on a BMX in the streets, and then on a mountain bike in Alberta. Unfortunately this same passion for downhill biking ended in an accident on September of 2023 which resulted in a traumatic brain injury from which he never fully recovered.

Johny was also a massive Formula 1 fan. He was such a fan that he named his cats after his favourite drivers, spent a decade wearing the same red Ferrari hat, and took frequent trips to Montreal to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal. These trips were highlights in his life that he spoke of often.

Everyone who was close to John knew that his other great passion was ‘his boys’, his two black rescue cats that he took immense pride in and doted on like a father does his children. You couldn’t know Johny and not hear about his boys. His family received many ‘cat videos’ of those boys and the daily mischief they got into that brought him so much joy.

Another quality about John was his unparalleled intelligence and monumental passion which characterized every conversation he had as an adult. He was a deep thinker and longed to understand and share what he believed. This intelligence was an asset in many areas of his life, including his exceptional construction skills.

In recent months and years John’s relationship with his mom had grown closer than ever, and she was his biggest supporter, advocate, and friend.  She cherishes these sweet connecting times and their conversations about life and faith as a gift from God. His siblings cherish the memories of growing up as a group of four and will forever feel the loss that they are now only three.

Johny is survived by: his parents, Jake and Agatha (Peters) Giesbrecht; his sister Anna Stoesz (Noah, Cassian, Ryder); his sister Lisa Clark and brother-in-law Tony Clark (Kai, Luca, Mia); his brother Micheal Giesbrecht and sister-in-law Janet Giesbrecht (Evan, Lanna, Jonah); his adopted Williams family and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. ~ 2 Timothy 4:7

The funeral service will be held on Monday, June 17^th, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB. To join the family via livestream, click HERE prior to the service.

Donations in memory of John may be made to Steinbach & Area Animal Rescue.