Dr. Jimmy "Jim" Hasegawa

February 25, 1930 - August 23, 2021

Jimmy passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family after an amazing life of 91 well-lived years. He will be forever missed by his cherished wife of 63 years, Helen; his 4 children, Andrew (Jennifer), Brian (Nancy), Philip (Anne), and Naomi (Craig); his 9 grandchildren, Lauren (Stephen), Connor, Victoria, Lindsay, Megan, Max, Kate, Sean, and Allison; 2 great-grandchildren, Vienna and June, and his brother Osamu (Shirley). He is predeceased by his sister Sumiko (André).

Jim’s life began in Vancouver where he was born to Japanese immigrants. In 1942, his family’s property was seized and the family was placed in Japanese-Canadian internment camps for 4 years. In 1946, the family was relocated to Montreal where he found factory work assembling cigarette lighters. His supervisor noticed the speed and dexterity with which Jim would assemble the lighters and jokingly told him, “Hey you would make a pretty great dentist.” A spark was lit and he embarked on a path to better his life. Continuing his factory work by day, he cracked the books and over the following years attended night school, earned his high school diploma and attended Sir George Williams College. Subsequently, he was accepted into The Faculty of Dentistry at McGill University and graduated first in his class in 1958.

Jim established his dental practice at the Drummond Medical Building in downtown Montreal where he practiced for 37 years. He built a home in Beaconsfield where, over the next 50 years, he raised his family and gave his boundless energy and time to the community he loved. He created and led the Beaconsfield Adult ”Keep Fit” Program (12 years), for which he was recognized with a Health & Welfare Canada Lifestyle Award for his contribution to the health of Canadians. In 1976, he ran the Olympic torch relay through Beaconsfield, insisting that members of the Keep Fit Class run with him. He was a co-founder of the Beaconsfield Bluefins Swim Club, the Beaconsfield Slo-Pitch Softball League, and President of the Association of Lakeshore Pools. He ran for and served on the Beaconsfield City Council for 23 years (‘86-‘09). He served on various committees at Christmas Park Elementary and Beaconsfield High Schools as well as the Board of Governors of John Abbott College and the Board of Directors of Lakeshore General Hospital. He was an athlete, fitness enthusiast, and passionate photographer all his life. Jim enjoyed post-retirement life playing golf and curling with Helen. He will always be remembered for his fiery determination and his straight-shooting personality. Jim believed in hard work and perseverance and was a constant inspiration to his children and grandchildren. A dedicated husband and father, his family was always his greatest joy and source of pride.

The family wishes to extend their tremendous appreciation and thanks to the many healthcare professionals from the Lakeshore General Hospital and CLSC Lac-Saint-Louis, as well as to all the kind caregivers who provided support to Jim and the family.

Funeral arrangements at Collins Clarke MacGillivray White Funeral Home (222, Autoroute 20, Pointe-Claire; 514-483-1870). Visitation on Friday, Sept. 10th from 5-8pm and Saturday, Sept.11th from 10am-12pm. A Celebration of Life will be held on the Saturday at 12pm. COVID restrictions (masks, social distancing) will be in place, with a max. of 50 in attendance at any time. If you wish to attend the Celebration of Life, please contact Collins Clarke to RSVP. The Celebration of Life will also be live video streamed and can be viewed on the Collins Clarke Pointe Claire website.