Robert "Jim" James Davies

Jim was born during the depression and spent his early childhood both in Vancouver and on a small farm in Cloverdale with his parents and grandparents. He spent his teenage years in New Westminster, BC. where his father owned a hotel.  Jim`s father, Ernest William Davies, was head bartender of the old Vancouver Hotel when he married Helen Marie (nee Porter.) They were living in Vancouver when Jim, their only child, was born.  Jim’s father Ernie started various businesses over the years, including owning hotels in New Westminster, Penticton and Kamloops. 

Jim had a very active childhood working on the family’s Cloverdale farm and roaming the local outdoors with his black lab Paddy.  Fishing and hunting, swimming, cycling and exploring the then natural paradise of the Fraser Valley. Jim also enjoyed outdoor life in Penticton where he spent his spare time riding horses near the family-owned motel. He avidly participated in local sports, particularly baseball. He was a proud member of the Duke of Connaught high school basketball team in New Westminster, from which he graduated in 1948.

His adventuresome nature led him to his first job when he was 15, working on an oil tanker travelling the west coast of North America.  During his university summers Jim worked at Brittania Mine near Squamish and Wells Grey Park in BC’s interior counting moose for the BC provincial government. The summer in Wells Grey Park deepened Jim`s great love of nature and animals. His passion for the outdoors led him to his first degree in Geology and Forestry from UBC in 1953.

Jim met his future wife Mae (nee Lequereux from Nelson, BC) in 1952 at a dance hosted by Jim’s UBC fraternity Alpha Tau Omega.  Mae was studying nursing at St. Paul`s Hospital in Vancouver at the time. After they married, Jim joined the RCAF and served for 2 years in Rivers, Manitoba, then returning to Vancouver to once again study at UBC, where he obtained his second degree in Mechanical Engineering (1962). Majoring in Geology, he passionately pursued his career in mining engineering.

As a young mechanical/mining engineer, Jim worked his way up firms in both Montreal and Vancouver, moving twice to Quebec between 1963 and 1968, spending 3 years working for Bechtel Corporation. Returning to BC, he worked for Wright Engineers and MacDonald Consultants before joining Kilborn Engineering in 1972. During his 24 years with Kilborn Engineers, Jim had been project manager of several international mining projects and a Director before finally retiring in 1996.

At the age of 50, Jim challenged himself by building a 26’ Thunderbird wooden sailboat and learned to sail from a local sailing school and Power Squadron courses, including the Master Navigation course. His love of sailing turned to racing, spending many winters racing in Howe Sound’s Snowflake winter series.

Shortly after retiring, Jim and Mae moved from West Vancouver to Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island.  Life on the island allowed Jim to continue wandering the great outdoors where he loved to fish, hike, camp and ski. He had a great respect for nature and a deep concern for its preservation.  Jim and Mae spent most winters either in Hawaii or in the Southwest and enjoyed many cruises to Alaska and tropical destinations.  Jim had a thirst for knowledge and was a voracious reader, enjoying books on wildlife, military history and many other subjects he was keen to learn about.  Family and friends loved to listen to Jim’s stories of BC history, his vast BC outdoor experiences and tales of his world-wide mining adventures. 

Jim, the person, was his greatest accomplishment. Modest and unassuming, he balanced traditional values of decency, hard work and integrity. We will remember his expansive intelligence, extraordinary memory, keen interest in world events, passion for baseball and his great sense of humor. Jim loved Canada and was proud to be a Canadian.  His goodwill was constant and so was his democratic acceptance of others. From simple beginnings, he made the most of his life and made himself into a man of substance and worth. Jim will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him

Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at 70 but lived a positive and fulfilled life for 20 years after his diagnosis. He succumbed to the disease shortly after his 90th birthday. He never complained and he never gave up. Jim was survived by his wife Mae, children Mark, Belinda and Bradley, grandchildren Julian, Lucas and Noam and his great granddaughter Livia. 

Thank you to the staff from Nanaimo’s Berwick on the Lake for caring for Jim in his last few months. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Parkinson’s Society of BC in his memory.