The Canadian Council of the Blind is sad to inform you about the passing of Mr. John Rempel on January 17th. Please see the letter below from the National Board of Directors about John.
I think of John on a regular basis. If it was not for John I would not be here, and most likely neither would the Council. His dedication and belief in the council assisted and encouraged the members to work together for the benefit of the community.
John’s leadership helped steer us through some very difficult and challenging periods for the Council. His Strong leadership, knowledge, commitment, and ability helped bring the council together.
Since 1975 John has been active in the Council at Chapter, Divisional, and National levels. John’s involvement with the CCB began in the Saskatoon White Cane Club, where he served as President for seven years. He then moved on to serve the Division for another six years becoming Division President for his last two years. In 1998 he became National President, and spent the following six years directing and building programs to create a better Council.
What I see as one of John’s best moments was during the 2006 Convention where he brought together the members allowing them to pass the bylaws they were working on at that time. We all owe him a strong debt of gratitude for all he has done for the Council.
John always put the Council first before his own interests. He maintained a great interest even after his retirement which I really recognized when I visited him in his home when I last was in Saskatchewan. From 1998 when he became President and Past President until 2010, and even beyond, he worked through his times of pain to keep this organization alive so we could one day be the beneficiaries of his unselfish efforts and his work ethic which taught us the true value of always reaching for more. John was a soft spoken man of great wisdom and when needed he sure he got his point across for the betterment of the Council.
Selma, I want to thank you for your continued support through all these years as you not only assisted John in many ways but you also assisted any board member needing help at the meetings plus many more things that we are not even aware. Please take care of yourself and thank you for sharing John with us who helped to make us stronger leaders in the Council.\
Louise Gillis, Jim Tokos, Jim Prowse and the Members of the National Board of Directors.