It is with profound sadness that the family of Jason Allan Gerlach of Brandon, MB announce his tragic passing on October 8, 2024. Jason was born on December 14, 1975, in Brandon, MB, the only son and miracle baby of John and Bonnie (Bonita).

Jason's lifelong love of dirt bikes, motorcycles and animals began as a little boy. He played various sports including soccer and football. Growing up, Jason could always be found hanging out with his buddies, inviting them over to play and having supper at his house. With the money he saved from his paper route, he bought his first car, a Chevy Nova which he loved dearly. The first thing he did was remove the Nova's backseat to make room for blasting speakers.

After graduating from Crocus Plains High School, Jason worked at Inventronics and at Honda. He ventured to BC for a short period. Returning home, Jason was employed at Cancade and Haddy's Mechanical. He then made the decision to attend Red River College to become a pipe fitter. Once Jason received his certification, he did a stint at All Pipe and Mechanical Ltd gaining many, many friends along the way. Since 2020, his most recent place of work has been Koch Fertilizer Canada. He loved the camaraderie with his colleagues and took great pride in his career as a pipefitter doing steam tracing. Jay also worked weekends with Eazzy Insulating and Welding.

Following the death of his father, Jason and his Mom were on their own and had to face the world together. Bonnie could always count on him to do odd jobs, fix what was broken, and tease her endlessly, always wearing that devilish and charming grin. Jason also had a special bond with his cousin Robyn, as they were often seen constantly joking with each other. Discussing bike builds with his cousin Wes was something Jason loved.

As an adult, Jay or "Gerlach" could often be found hanging out in his shop with his buddies sharing stories, listening to metal music and fixing bikes. Jay enjoyed dirt biking and snowmobiling at Camp Hughes. He liked horror movies, Harley Davidson, heavy metal concerts and Maker's Mark Bourbon.

Jay met Karen Grant in 2013, and they both quickly realized how much they loved each other. Moving in together in 2015, they began the never-ending task of house renovations which forced Jay to removed the motorcycles he was working on from the kitchen. Jay and Karen loved spending time together and enjoyed driving to various small towns to sample cheeseburgers. They often traveled to Banff and were planning another trip to Punta Cana this winter. Writing sweet notes to leave around the house and taking her on surprise dates were just a few of the romantic things Jay would do. Always the gentleman, he would open car doors for his "girls", Karen and Bonita, and would lend a helping hand to anyone in need.

Without a doubt, his greatest joy was becoming a grandpa in 2019 when Lincoln William arrived, and again in 2023, the year Axel James was born. Grandpa Jay and Lincoln spent many hours in the shop playing together and learning about tools. His first Harley, and everything Lincoln knows from the different kinds of trees to the best tasting candies, was because of his Grandpa Jay. Often Grandpa Jay would go to daycare to pick up Lincoln as a surprise. He would jump into Grandpa's arms with pure joy and then they were off to buy some candy at the Jiffy Mart.

Jason was predeceased by his father, John; grandparents Henry Gerlach and Henry and Iona Heppner; and aunt Valerie Graham Johnson.

He is survived by his beloved mother Bonita Gerlach; his uncle Brian Heppner; aunt Verna Ganter and several cousins. Left to cherish his memory is the love of his life, Karen Grant, her daughters, Krystin and Katie (Brendan), and his treasured grandsons, Lincoln and Axel, as well as countless friends.

The family welcomes donations to Fund for Furry Friends in Brandon, MB as an expression of sympathy instead of flowers.

To Celebrate Jay's Life, a party will be held at the Eagle's Nest Bar and Grill on Saturday, December 21, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to close.

Someone once told me you may not have gotten to spend the rest of your life with them. But they got to spend the rest of their life with you, and there is beauty in that ~ Jesse Pedigo.