John Henry Wiersema passed away peacefully, with his family by his side on July 18th at 62 years of age.  His courage and strength of character was never more prevalent than during his lengthy struggle with Cancer.  He fought so hard for so long, giving us many years of “bonus time.”  For that we will always be forever grateful and proud of him. John is survived by his wife, Eleanor, the love of his life, soul mate and best friend. His son, Steven (Jackie) Wiersema, their children Ashley and Aaron and brand new baby grand-daughters, Gabriella and Gracie.  His daughter Beverly (Daryn) Pottinger and their sons Mathew and Jeremy. He is also survived by sisters Linda (Leo) van Leeuwen and Rosemarie (Ben) van Leeuwen as well as numerous, nieces, nephews, brother/sister in-laws, close friends and relatives. John was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta but eventually ended moving to Chilliwack with his family. He grew up wreaking havoc with his buddies on the streets of Rosedale with their fast cars and motorcycles.  He met Eleanor while working at Fraser Vale and they married, ending up in Ashcroft and then Kamloops which was where they settled to raise their family. He followed in his father’s footsteps and was a hard working labourer for many construction companies in Kamloops; most recently he was part of the CON-EX family. Family was very important to John and he enjoyed spending time with his grand-children; throwing a ball around or just goofing off, being silly and  making them laugh.  He loved to go camping and fishing.  His youthful spirit and ability to bring a smile to people’s faces will forever be remembered by those who knew him. A Celebration of life will be held on Friday, July 29th at 1:00 pm at Westsyde Fellowship Church, 2833 Westsyde Road, Kamloops, BC.  In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Kamloops Hospice Association, 72 Whiteshield Crescent South, Kamloops, BC, V2E 2S9.  Arrangements entrusted to Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Service and Crematorium.