MICHAEL , Jackson Michael

February 16, 2001 - August 5, 2025

If Jackson could tell you about himself, he’d probably start with the numbers. After all, he was a self-proclaimed stats guy – someone who timed everything and analyzed the numbers and details about virtually anything that came his way.
Jackson Michael Reimer was born on Friday February 16, 2001 at 2:11am on the 4th floor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital. He was the 1st born of Mike and Danielle’s 3 kids, with Josh and Emma arriving in the next 42 months. He was the 2nd oldest grandchild on both Mike and Danielle’s sides, a nephew to 6, and cousin to 7 in the Penner, Axler and Broom family trees.

He made his home in 6 places: Kitchener, Toronto, Gravenhurst, Severn, Kingston, and Ottawa. He attended 4 schools, played high school basketball and volleyball, and traveled over 40,000 km to the YWAM base in Australia’s Sunshine Coast and Papua New Guinea. He went to Queen’s University and was a big part of Power to Change, a Christian group on Campus. He worked for 6 months on Parliament Hill, gaining notoriety for knocking on more than 25,000 doors during the 2025 federal election campaign.

He loved driving in his car, listening to music and podcasts on his Spotify playlist. He would tell you that it had 4,549 songs that would run for 289 hours or over 12 days. He was eagerly awaiting to use the list on a road trip that would take him 4,132 km to see 2 SEC giants – the Alabama Crimson Tide vs the Tennessee Volunteers – battle it out on a 100-yard field.

So, that’s Jackson by the numbers. But to really understand him, you need some color commentary too. Jackson was a sports fanatic in the fullest sense of the phrase. Who else would cheer for perennial losers like the Buffalo Bills and the Toronto Maple Leafs, always hoping “maybe this was their year”? Who else would get up at 7:00 Saturday morning for ESPN’s College Game Day, or start counting down to the first NFL and College Football game in May? Sit with Scott Hanson for 7 straight hours of football every Sunday afternoon? Or be fully tuned into Australian Rules Football, college basketball or the Masters, all while analyzing player performance with his own spreadsheets, charts, and graphs?

Above and beyond his love of sports, Jackson delighted in his days at camp. His many summers at Ontario Pioneer and Mini-Yo-We transformed him from an ordinary camper to “Spartan” – LIT, chalet leader, lifeguard, boating instructor, waterfront head, boat driver, and boys camp director extraordinaire. Regardless of his role or notwithstanding the challenges he faced, Spartan poured himself into campers and staff alike, leaving a life-long legacy for those who will follow in his wake.
Sure, these numbers might be interesting and this color commentary cool. But the one thing you must know is that Jackson’s life was defined by his faith. His words, thoughts, actions and deeds demonstrated his devotion to his Lord. As a young boy, Jackson committed his life to Jesus Christ, finding grace, mercy, forgiveness and life by believing on his name. When being baptized in the waves off Australia’s Gold Coast, Jackson declared that he had fully surrendered his life to God with the words, “I don’t know what the rest of my life holds, I’m only 18. But I know God’s with me. So why worry?”
Yes, his life was tragically short, and some might lament the fact that he’ll never experience more of the good things in our world. Nevertheless, Jackson would want you to thank God for the 24 years he spent with those who loved him best. He’d want you to rejoice in the truth that he is safe and secure in his eternal and heavenly home. And, he’d want you to know that God is good – 100% of the time. After all, for a guy like Jackson, the numbers never lie.
In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to either Ontario Pioneer Camp or Camp Mini-Yo-We. Messages of condolence are welcomed at www.simcoefuneralhome.ca
Ontario Pioneer Camp – www.ivcf.ca/rememberingjackson
Mini-Yo-We Camp – www.miniyowe.com/jackson