James Mayhew

James Elerie Mayhew passed away on the 25th of January, 2019 at the age of 98. James (Jim or his preferred Al) was born on the 15th of February, 1920 in Shaunavon SK. At the age of 3 James and his family moved to Saskatoon. He later attended Albert School and City Park Collegiate, where as an outstanding athlete, he competed in multiple sports including basketball, soccer and track. He joined the Rocky Mountain Rangers, an infantry regiment of the Canadian army, in 1941. In addition to military training, because he had learned to type in high school, he was trained in morse code and acted as a clerk and a signal corp operator. When the Rangers were seconded to the American 13th Infantry Brigade, James embarked to the Aleutian Islands, trained on the island of Adak for combat against the Japanese, and then landed as part of a combined American and Canadian troop contingent on Kiska Island. When the Rangers were seconded to the British Army of the Rhine, James served in Belgium and Holland, and was part of the Canadian forces medical unit in the liberation of Holland. After the war and upon returning to Canada, James worked in Edmonton for a short period and then returned to live and work in Saskatoon for the rest of his life. He worked for Arthur Rose Cleaners as a Master Cleaner for over 40 years. He met his wife Marie Roch at the end of the war. They married in 1949, and had four children. James was a kind, loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather with an irrepressible sense of humor, and a love of music-he played the mouth organ by ear with great enthusiasm and skill-and of animals, particularly dogs: Tink and Dobby visited him four times a week and were always rewarded with bonies. James played softball for many years, pitching for the Canadian troops against the Americans while in Holland, and, after the war, for the Bombers and College Lads. He had great integrity as a gymnastics judge, qualified at both the provincial and national levels. He was an avid and accomplished bowler, participating in League play at Eastview Bowl until he was 96. He won many awards for his bowling. James was a talented artist, especially at caricatures and landscapes. This talent was inherited by several of his children and grandchildren. He especially loved to fish. It was a special treat for his children, each taking a turn, to get up at 5 a.m. to go fishing with their dad. He also enjoyed the horse races and spent many hours at Marquis Downs. James loved to play cards and was an excellent bridge player; he also enjoyed cribbage and played with his son-in-law, Dale, virtually every Friday night for the past 20 years.