Johann (John) Wenzel

John passed away peacefully on January 5, 2026, in Victoria, BC. He was born on September 3, 1931, in Rhens, Germany, the youngest of 3 children. He was 94 years old.

John is survived by son Kirk (Susan), and daughters Karla, Kyra (Chris) and Kim, 13 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and many other family and friends. He is pre-deceased by his beloved wife of 65 years, Eva, and daughter Kelly. John will be dearly missed by all.

John was born in a small, picturesque town on the Rhine River amid grapevines and castles. At just 14, John began working at the local butcher shop, where he learned the craft of meat cutting and sausage making. He earned his trade certification before the age of 20 and eventually settled in Hamburg. At 25, with $20 in his pocket, and not a word of English in his vocabulary, he boarded a ship for Canada – the land of opportunity. He entered via the port of Montreal, and immediately boarded a train to Saskatoon, Sask.

Although recruited by Canada for his meat cutting skills, John initially found work in construction. Determined to repay the government loan for his passage to Canada, he worked extra hours and paid it off in just three months.

John first met Eva when construction co-workers sent him for ice cream to a nearby shop where Eva worked. Striking Eva caught John’s eye immediately!

John learned English quickly and eventually returned to the skilled trade he mastered as a boy, landing a job at Intercontinental Packers, where, unbeknownst to him, Eva was now also working. They met again there, and soon after, fell in love!

They married in 1958 and started their family a year later. John and Eva moved to Victoria in 1969, where they settled and raised their 5 children.

John’s dedication and drive to be the best led him to many achievements in life. He successfully built and operated his own meat businesses (Oxford Meats, Slater’s Meats) which more than adequately provided for him and his family.

John was also an avid sports enthusiast, following baseball, hockey, golf and soccer. He and Eva were devout Toronto Blue Jays fans. Shortly after arriving in Canada, he discovered golf and 10-pin bowling, which he played and enjoyed the rest of his life. While John’s pursuit for excellence resulted in numerous perfect (300) games and 800 series in bowling, golf was always his true passion.

He joined Cedar Hill golf course shortly after learning the game, where he quickly made many life-long friends… John had a kind heart and was well-liked and respected by those who knew him.

The desire to play golf through the winter months drew John to Mesa Arizona, where he and Eva acquired a modest, seasonal residence in a community with many other like-minded snowbirds. Many new friends were made there. A move in retirement from their residence near Cedar Hill golf course to View Royal saw John move his membership over to the newly built Highland Pacific golf course where he made many more friends and subsequently worked as a course marshal.

John was an incredible golfer. Over the years, he amassed 18 holes-in-one and won many championships. His last hole-in-one came a week after his 89th birthday while playing with son Kirk and fellow Highland Pacific golf buddies at Bear Mountain’s Valley golf course.

Our family would like to thank the nurses, care staff and doctors at both VGH, and Gorge Rd Health Center who provided John with expert care and comfort during his extensive stays in hospital. Their personal touch was greatly appreciated!

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Colwood Church at
https://www.colwoodchurch.com/giving

A Celebration of Life will be held this summer, details of which are to come.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com

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