Jack “Smokey” Egers passed away peacefully on Friday, September 10, 2021. Jack was a devoted family man and will be profoundly missed by his wife Wendy (nee Beteau), son Mark (Deanna) and daughter Cori (Rob). Cherished Papa of Jake (Rae), Luke, Sydney and Zack and great-grandfather to Levi. Dear brother of Kathy Mitchell (Mike), Bonnie Irvine (Steve) and predeceased by brothers Jim and Gerry and parents Weldon and Fay Egers and Bern and Marg Beteau.

Jack lived a life so full that it’s hard to do it justice in a short tribute. At the young age of 15 he moved from his hometown of Lively, Ontario to play for the Kitchener Rangers where he met the love of his life, Wendy. He went on to have a storied career in the NHL with the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals. Among the many stories to be told of his career in the NHL, Jack is an original member of the Capitals, who claimed him in the 1974 NHL Expansion Draft, and holds the distinction of scoring the first winning goal for the team on October 17, 1974 against the Chicago Black Hawks. When his hockey career came to an end, Jack brought his family back to Canada where he became a firefighter with the Kitchener Fire Department (KFD), ultimately ascending to the rank of Captain. He always held dear the pride and brotherhood found with the KFD and all his first responder colleagues. But most of all, Jack took pride and treasured dearly the love of the family he and Wendy created and the close friendships he made along the way. An avid story and joke teller, he was in his element entertaining anyone he crossed paths with in his captivating and charming way. He lived life to the fullest and spent much of his personal time golfing, hunting, fishing and traveling. Suffice it to say he will be sorely missed by many.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Sohaib and the amazing ICU staff at Woodstock Hospital. Jack marveled at the care and compassion he received from everyone over the past couple of weeks and we are so grateful to you all.

To keep everyone safe in these times, the family will lay Jack to rest in a private ceremony and look forward to welcoming extended family and friends to a Celebration of Life in the coming Spring.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in Jack’s memory.

https://cpff.ca/get-involved/donate/