‘A great legacy’: Family remembers father, husband killed on Wayne Gretzky Drive

The family of Derek Simenac, who died on Wayne Gretzky Drive last month, as Edmonton’s best cat rescuer and a great helping hand.

The Edmonton cat rescuer. A brother. A son. A husband. A father of four.

Derek Simenac’s family wants to commemorate the 41-year-old as more than the man killed on the side of an Edmonton freeway after he became the subject of media attention in the last month.

“I think he left a great legacy, not only with cat rescue but with helping neighbours and just being a kind-hearted person and helping anyone in need,” his brother, Drew, told media on Thursday.

Simenac died after pulling over to a neutral space on Wayne Gretzky Drive on May 21. Police say he was hit by another truck travelling in the same direction. He was pronounced dead on scene.

“Regardless of what happened that day, he probably would have been helping someone else in the same situation,” his brother added.

Simenac was known for using his arborist and his Red Seal journeyman scaffolding skills to rescue dozens of cats from trees around town. He became a celebrity in Edmonton lost and found Facebook groups.

“It was awesome, man. The family would always be overjoyed and they were surprised he wouldn’t ask for anything in return,” Simenac’s friend and co-worker, Rick Nielsen, said. “He just did it for the kindness of doing it. And he loved it. He loved climbing trees and he loved helping people.”

Simenac’s family set up a GoFundMe page for funeral costs and future help for his wife and four children. Around $12,000 has poured in so far.

The family held a public announcement Thursday to thank the “thousands of strangers” who have reached out since his death with condolences, support and donations.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson