Born at the Calgary General Hospital, his mother Dorothy said he arrived that day in May 1956 with a full head of hair, spoiling for a fight and ready to take on the world. And that he did. James had a great big life and was never afraid to try anything just like the characters in the Clive Cussler novels he loved so much. He loved big and threw himself into his passions until he mastered them. The big loves of his life were his Mom, cars; especially his classic 1969 MGB, the ocean, coffee and cookies in any form, his family, and his women. He lived life on his own terms with courage and conviction.
James was a handsome devil with a natural charisma. If you were blonde and blue eyed, LOOK OUT. He had many escapades and love affairs, one of which resulted in the best thing he ever did; his son Marc.
His love affair with cars started early. He was a teenager when he started his apprenticeship under his colourful Uncle Joe. He purchased his beloved classic MGB in 1973. He went on to become a journeyman autobody man working in many autobody shops in Calgary and Vancouver as well as operating his own successful business for many years. His love of cars eventually took him to the NASCAR circuit where, for three years, he worked on pit crews and as a support driver, placing in the top three, four times.
Travel was a big part of his life. Starting in his early 20’s and continuing throughout his life, he travelled to the US, Mexico, Cuba, the Caribbean, Hawaii, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and the Middle East. He said that of all the places that he had travelled, he felt the most at home in Dubai. Even in the last few years, when life was not so kind, he was working on his Arabic so he could go back there on one last trip.
James always loved the water and was an expert swimmer at a young age. He was only 15, when he saved his sister Roslie from drowning during a boating accident on Sylvan Lake. However, his real love affair with the ocean began when he moved to Vancouver in the 90’s. He learned how to scuba dive and quickly became a master diver and taught students. Here too is a story of heroism: during a diving expedition in the Red Sea, an inexperienced British couple had a catastrophic equipment failure and he saved them both from certain death. While he received a commendation from the Egyptian authorities, he never dived again.
James’s passions also turned towards sailing. He took many classes and worked as a midshipman, on tourist boats that plied the Georgia Strait. He said he always felt so free when he was on the water and if life was different, he could see himself doing only that for the rest of his days.
No matter where his adventures took him, there was always the love of his Mom. Whether it was a long phone call on a Sunday morning or them sitting around the kitchen table with coffee and cookies, there were always so many stories and so much laughter. There could be loud disagreements as well, but there was always love. When Dorothy passed in 2009, it took the literal wind out of his sails. She was his anchor to this world and without his anchor, he was set adrift. He tried valiantly to go on but in these last years, it became impossible for James to deal with the vicissitudes of life. Sometime during the beginning of March, James’ broken heart quit beating.
He will be missed more than he could have ever possibly imagined.
He leaves behind his son Marc and granddaughter Maya; his big sis Sandy and brother-in-law Bill; his baby sister Roslie and brother-in-law Dave, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.
The family would like to thank everyone for their kindness towards James in the last few years as well as for the many expressions of sympathy received. A private celebration of JAMES’ BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE will take place at a later date. Please contact the family for details.
If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made directly to Trinity Foundation at https://ckc.calgaryfoundation.org/profile/trinity-place-foundation-of-alberta/. The donate button is at the very end of the page and there two options for people to choose.
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