Jannet Bernice Weber Passchier
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” - Corinthians 13:13
Jannet Bernice Weber Passchier of Palmerston passed away peacefully on July 9, 2025.
The wife of Felix W. Weber and mother of Felix A. Weber of Toronto and Lucas M. Weber and fiancée Kaitlyn van Beers of Forest, Bernice will be sadly missed by her siblings, Mary Passchier of Blyth, Anna Myers of Newfoundland, Johanna and Richard Pepneck of Alberta, John and Joan Passchier of Puslinch, Anton (her twin) and Rhea Passchier of Pickering and Trudy and Mark Krahn of Clinton.
Bernice will also be missed by the Weber family and a wide range of eclectic friends from both literary and farming professions, artistic and creative spheres reflecting her love of life and curiosity of the world.
She was predeceased by her parents, Anton Passchier and Jannetje Van Rijn Passchier, and brother Gordon Passchier.
Born in Wingham, Bernice grew up on the family farm near Blyth. Throughout her life, she maintained close connections with her family. Bernice was always reading when not helping on the family farm, so it was no surprise when she spread her wings early and worked in a range of capacities at the Blyth Summer Festival Theatre in its formative years.
Her love of learning led to achieving a B.A. from the University of Waterloo, a Diploma in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Education from Queens University. She then worked as a publicist and editor for theatres and philanthropic organizations in Ontario and Alberta.
Her love of nature is evident in her photography of hiking and camping expeditions, as well as in the poetry readings and watercolour paintings she shared with family and friends.
In the spirit of service as modelled by her Christian faith and an interest in the broader world, she embarked on a Mennonite Christian Committee assignment in China just 10 years after it had been opened up to the world. In her two years of teaching in Chongqing, she travelled extensively throughout Asia with fellow adventurers.
Upon her return to Canada, she met and married Felix in 1998 and settled in the Palmerston area. Bernice transitioned to apply her English and professional skills in the family business. As she raised their sons, she continued to pursue and share her love of knowledge, travel, theatre, music and creativity. They regularly spent time in Switzerland with family there.
At home, Bernice became an articulate and vocal advocate for important local issues related to the community, education and the local library. In the broader agricultural community, Bernice and Felix participated in the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program and established connections at various levels of the industry, academia, and government across the province.
Bernice was conscientious about family, community and friends. Her caring and compassionate nature could always be felt as she brought an elegant, peaceful presence to a gathering and listened carefully to all sides. She stood up in her determination to do the right thing, and to the end, she maintained her free spirit. Always proud of her remarkable sons, she was blessed beyond measure by their legacy and the love of her husband.
Visitation will be held at Eaton Funeral Home, Listowel on Friday, July 18 from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. The funeral service will be held at Listowel Mennonite Church on Saturday, July 19 at 1:30 p.m. with reception to follow. The service will be livestreamed. Interment will be at Beechwood Cemetery, Forest.
Memorial donations to Farmers’ Mental Health (through CMHA) or Mennonite Central Committee would be appreciated.
Online condolences may be left at www.eatonfuneralhome.ca