Jake THUN

JAKE THUNApril 20, 1938 - February 28, 2021 Jake passed away peacefully in Joseph Brant Hospital, Burlington during the early hours of February 28th. Beloved husband and best friend of Bernadette, loving Dad of his children Geoffrey (Kathy), and Leslie (Rob) and adoring grandpa to Eleanor and Evelyn. He is also survived by his sister Agatha (Joe) and their children. Born in Winnipeg April 20, 1938, Jake's early life was spent on a family farm with plenty of animals and hijinks to keep him busy. When his father passed away suddenly, the family moved to Leamington, Ontario. Jake attended high school at UMEI and after graduating joined the Royal Bank of Canada, commuting to his first job in his treasured black Volkswagen Beetle. His early banking days were spent in small town Ontario until he was transferred to the Metro Toronto area where he met his wife of 56 years, who had come to Canada as part of a teacher exchange program from England. Shortly after their marriage Jake was awarded a Royal Bank Muir scholarship that allowed him to attend the University of Windsor, where he earned his Honor's Bachelor of Commerce. During his time at school both of their children were born and attended his graduation as a family of four. After graduation the family moved to Montreal and Jake broadened his career experience with Head Office positions in Marketing and Finance. Jake spent the early years with his children building go carts, teaching them to ride a bike, building a skating rink in the backyard and building sandcastles on the beaches of Sarasota FL, their favorite family vacation destination. In the mid 70's the family relocated to Ontario and Jake continued to build a reputation as a strong leader, team builder, mentor and the person to bring in when events had gone off track. Jake would inevitably get things back on course, elevating all those around him. To his absolute delight, the final phase of his career with RBC was as head of the Leasing group. It was here where Jake had autonomy to build his team, put together ever increasingly significant deals and build relationships in the marketplace that put RBC in a leadership position in the sector. Jake began his life in a prairie setting, and his heart was always pointed towards the horizon. This orientation led him to actively pursue greater challenges at work, meet new people and build relationships, and led Jake and Bernadette to explore the world and instill their love of travel in his children. Whenever possible, Jake loved to visit Europe, particularly Germany and resurrect his first language, proudly proclaiming "Ich bin aus Kanada!". In his retirement years, Jake continued to travel, enjoyed the garden, visited the theatre and enjoyed his role as a sounding board for Geoffrey and Leslie as they pursued their own careers. He was a proud Dad when they met their own partners and he saw his children succeed in their own lives. In 2010 when Eleanor and Evelyn were born, Jake spent 6 months in Chicago looking after the young girls and helped get Leslie's new little family off to a great start. The family would like to thank Dr. Ahkmed, Dr. Garland and the nursing staff of Joseph Brant Hospital for their care, sensitivity and kindness at Jake's end of life. In lieu of flowers please perform an act of kindness on Jake's behalf.