Jason James Wald

Jason James Wald, 33, Bismarck, died December 19, 2015, when he was caught in an avalanche snowmobiling in Cook City, MT. Services will be held at 11:00 am Wednesday, December 23, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 502 N 4th St, Bismarck, with Rev. Steve Sathre officiating. Visitation will be held from 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm Tuesday, December 22, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where family will greet visitors from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm and a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Jason James Wald was born July 28, 1982, the son of James and Doris Wald. Jason knew how to live and how to love. Everything he did was with passion. He believed that life was meant to be embraced. Every challenge was met with a stubborn determination and conquered with fearless conviction. Jason grew up in Bismarck and attended St. Mary schools. He has a sister, Stefanie Wald. With a five year age difference, Jason was always very protective of Stef, they were inseparable. Even when he was playing with his friends, he wouldn’t mind his little sister joining in. Jason was mechanically gifted. He loved anything with a motor and could transform a pile of metal into a work of art. This started with spending days and nights with his dad in the shop and at the farm. A pivitol part in his career started at Mr. Tire & Muffler, where he met his lifelong friend and boss, Erv Kroh (Wally). This skill was recognized consistently when he received a Service Performance Award every year through his employer, Titan Machinery, where he worked for the past 12 years. His gift for mechanics wasn’t just the tool that allowed him to work. It was also what allowed him to play. Jason had an arsenal of toys. This addiction to motors started as a small boy with dirt bikes and four-wheelers and grew as each new toy got bigger and better. Jason’s passion for toys paled in comparison to the love he had for the people in his life. He was the perfect balance of outgoing, fun, charismatic, and spontaneous, causing people to be drawn to him. Taking up new hobbies was Jason’s thing over the years. If it had to do with the outdoors, Jason has tried it. Golf, hunting, mudding, fishing (he couldn’t wait to take Van ice fishing!). He and the neighbor guys were always up to something, building shops, driving golf carts, and most of all, prank after prank. Many people will tell you it’s hard to find the exact words for Wald, but no matter the words, they all point to the same thing, he was a one of a kind man and would have given his friends the shirt off his back. One fateful day, his magnetic charm attracted a beautiful woman to him and changed his life forever. Michelle Johnson married Jason on January 29, 2011, despite the fact that he doesn’t shut any drawers after he opens them and leaves clothes on the floor. Together they had two beautiful baby boys. Jason adored his sons, Van James (3) and Jett Kevin (9 months). Whether he was chasing them around the yard with the lawn mower, eating popsicles, or just hanging out at Menards, they were content to be together. He was patiently waiting for them to get old enough to enjoy big boy toys with their dad. Their world was destroyed on December 19, 2015, when Jason passed away from injuries sustained in an avalanche while snowmobiling in Montana. For everyone who knew Jason, he took a piece of their heart with him. But he left behind a part of himself and will never be forgotten. The memories, the contagious laugh, and the “Wald Grunt” will hold as a reminder to cherish life. Jason is survived by his wife, Michelle and their sons, Van and Jett; his parents, James and Doris Wald; and his sister, Stefanie, all of Bismarck. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, John and Marie Rohrich. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up in Michelle’s name for her two young boys, Van and Jett, at Railway Credit Union.