On Saturday, February 25th, 2023, after a hard-fought and courageous battle with cancer, Jesse Sturgeon passed away at home surrounded by his family. On that day, we lost a beloved husband, father, son, brother, teacher, colleague, and friend to so many.

Jesse showed us all, every day, what it meant to be the best person, no matter what. He always saw the good in people, and he loved everyone deeply. He consistently stood up for what was right, and he constantly advocated for those who couldn’t, especially when it was hard. He was never afraid to call you out when you were wrong, and he never backed down from a good argument. His smile and laughter could brighten up any room, and he instantly made you feel like an old friend, right from your very first encounter with him.

Jesse was an incredible educator. After having many different teaching roles throughout his career, Jesse was most recently a high school Special Education Department Head and Guidance Counsellor. In these roles, Jesse had the opportunity to really help students find their passions and work towards reaching their education goals. Jesse had a true gift for lighting the way for all students, and he worked tirelessly to provide students with whatever they needed.

Jesse’s favourite role, however, was being a true family man, and his biggest concern was leaving his family behind. He was a devoted husband to his best friend, Hetal. Married for over 17 years, Jesse and Hetal embarked on many life adventures together, but their most important adventure together was raising two beautiful daughters, Arian and Marlowe. His daughters, without a doubt, were most certainly his pride and joy, and he would beam whenever he spoke of them. As a dedicated father, Jesse was always busy running out the door from one after-school activity to another, never once complaining, often spilling coffee all over himself!

Jesse was such an inspiration and role model, and we will ensure his family remembers all of the stories he told the rest of us. Everywhere we see light in the world, we will continue to find you, Jesse. We love you. Thank you for being such an important part of our lives.

Any funds raised here will go towards post-secondary funds for Jesse’s daughters, and to alleviate memorial service costs and any other expenses the family may be faced with at this time.