We Remember
ZEFFER, Josef
September 16, 1925 — March 6, 2026
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Josef Zeffer. Josef went home to be with the Lord on March 6, 2026.
Josef was born in Tarcea, Romania. Josef left home and years later ended up in Germany where he met his wife, Johanna. They then immigrated to Canada and ended up settling in Kitchener, Ontario. Josef spent many years as a bricklayer, stonemason and gardener to provide for the family. Josef developed a subdivision from the hobby farm he purchased. Josef served the Lord as a Deacon at Central Baptist Church, Kitchener. Josef retired to Kelowna, BC, where he built a house overlooking Okanagan Lake. He built a scale model of the Eiffel tower in the backyard as it reminded him of when he lived in Paris. Josef continued to garden, make wine, entertain family, and serve the Lord as a Deacon at Grace Baptist Church in Kelowna.
Josef was predeceased by his wife, Johanna (d. 2013). He lived on his own for a few years in Kelowna until he decided it was time to sell the house and move into something smaller.
The last few years, Josef was a resident at Royal City Manor in New Westminster. Josef loved the staff and his fellow tablemates (John, Collin, and Ray). Josef called this place his home. The staff always
commented how nice and wonderful it was to have Dad there; comments received, Josef would wheel around, wave, and smile with a twinkle in his eyes. When we visited Dad, we would take him out to the courtyard. Dad would always say, “too many weeds,” and he’d laugh, “if only I was in charge,” and laugh again. The staff said Josef was sitting in his wheelchair talking with them when he closed his eyes and the Lord called him home.
We want to thank the Royal City Manor staff for the exceptionally great care of Dad. A special thank-you to Gina, Sharon, Helen, and Shereesse, and many more staff.
Josef is survived by his children, Joe (Evelyn), Erika (Ernie), Emmanuel, Anita (Gord), and Gabrielle (Ross), grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and numerous other family members
Josef had always wanted to live in peace on earth, and now he has the peace he always wanted.
Thank you Dad for always being my (Joe) role model and friend as we worked together over the years through many fireplace builds and chimney replacements and house construction/renovations.
Thank you for loving Evelyn, who you later nicknamed “Liebe”. We will miss you until we meet again one day.
A Special thank-you to Springfield Funeral Home for helping and guiding us through this difficult time.
As requested by Josef, there will be no funeral service.
If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Josef Zeffer. Josef went home to be with the Lord on March 6, 2026.
Josef was born September 16, 1925 in Tarcea, Romania. He immigrated with his wife and one child in 1956 to Canada. They settled in Saskatoon, SK., where they joined the First German Baptist Church and two more children were born to them.
In 1961, they moved to Kitchener, ON., where they became members of Central Baptist Church and God blessed them with two more children.
In 1997, they retired to Kelowna, BC., where Josef built a house overlooking Okanagan Lake, and were members of Grace Baptist Church in Kelowna.
Josef was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Johanna (d. 2013) and his mother, Esther, and three brothers in Romania.
Josef is survived by his children, Erika (Ernie) Meier, Gabriele (Ross) Dettweiler, Emanuel, Anita (Gord) Millar, and Joe, 13 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren. Also survived by his niece Isabella (Gabor) and their son Attila and other family in Romania. A special thank you to Brunhilde Poschwatta for her love and support with Josef before he moved into the retirement home.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Care entrusted to Springfield Funeral Home, Kelowna, BC.
I only belatedly discovered that Joe Zeffer had passed. I have some good memories of Joe. He made a big impression on me. My parents who also lived in the Kitchener-Waterloo area were friends. I would be 30+ years younger than Joe. My relationship with him took place after moving to Kelowna. We would visit occasionally. One area of common interest was the Bible. Joe studied the Bible. As it happened, Joe enjoyed reading Midnight Call (a Christian monthly periodical). I was a monthly contributor to Midnight Call. Joe read them all and would sometimes call me if he disagreed with something in the magazine. He stood for proper doctrine and was not afraid to speak out in its defense. As it was, we never did have any major differences. We’d often speak on the phone. That stopped when Joe moved to the mainland. I lost track of him. He was an inspiration for me … a layman who knew his Bible.
Of many visits and contacts over the years, one fondly sticks out. It was not too long after Johanna passed away. Joe was living on his own. Two friends of mine Bernie and Lothar (who also knew Joe from the Central Baptisten Gemeinde back in Kitchener ) and I decided to visit him. He was ecstatic. He served us his home-made wine and also gave us a bottle to take home. We traded stories from the past and had a great time. As we left, Joe was in tears. That was a heart tugger. We did get it on camera.