James Neil Glass
October 5, 1961 – July 10, 2012

On Thursday July 5th our wonderful father Jim Glass sustained a minor injury during a soccer game that triggered a pre-existing condition and caused a severe injury to his brain. Despite a brave and valiant effort, Dad was unable to return to us. Dad is survived by his 5 children Kelly, (Mike Ramage) and grandchild on the way, Karen, Jake and Molly and their mother June Vezeau; Ben and his mother Debbie Stoger; and his special friend Andrea Davidson.
He is also survived by his mother Mamie Glass; sister Susan Thornsteinson (Arnie); Rob Barry; Carol Gregoryk (Mike); Barry Glass (Laura); Dan Glass (Laura); and many nieces and nephews.
Dad was born in Prince Albert on October 5th, 1961. He attended West Central School for grades 1 – 8 then graduated from Carlton High school in 1979. He followed our Grampa Floyd into the aviation industry washing the bellies of airplanes as a youngster, pumping gas on weekends as a teenager, and flying for and managing bases for Athabaska Airlines as a young adult. Dad obtained his private pilot’s license when he was 17, then attended SIAST in Calgary where he obtained his Commercial Pilot’s License and a Business Diploma. Dad managed the Athabaska charter base in Saskatoon until 1987, then moved to Prince Albert to assist his father Floyd Glass in managing the airline. When Grandpa Floyd died in 1999, Dad became the General Manager/Owner of Athabaska Airways.
Dad’s vision to provide scheduled flight service in Saskatchewan was achieved in 1992 with regularly scheduled service to locations in northern and southern Saskatchewan. Market conditions and changing economic parameters impacted service destinations and schedules. The original charter business continued concurrently, providing helicopters and fixed wing transport for private industry, fishing camps, Air Ambulance and for many other purposes.
Our father became an aviation and community leader. A visionary and problem solver, in 2000 Dad merged Athabaska Airlines with former industry competitor Pat Campling Jr. of LaRonge Avation to form Transwest Air, a partnership that created a committed partnership and friendship and fostered a single and strong aviation enterprise.
Dad enjoyed sports throughout his life. He was a major financial contributor to the fund raising for the Alfred Jenkins Field House. Through the efforts of Dad and Pat Campling Jr., Transwest Air has dedicated charitable dollars and personal efforts toward youth programs throughout the province. Pat and Dad supported anything to do with kids, and drugs and alcohol abuse, often behind the scenes and without publicity.
Dad took part in numerous boards and committees, including the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Saskatoon. He was a lifetime member of ATAC, Air Transport Association of Canada, where he served on the board of directors, and as ATAC Chairman. Dad was President of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce. Dad was a major sponsor of the SIAST Pilot Scholarship Program as well as the Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership program. Dad and Pat Campling Jr. also contributed funding and airplanes for study purposes for students at SIIT: Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology.
Our father had a great sense of ethics, intelligence, integrity and humor. Dad was driven to achieve new goals, whether in business, on the soccer field, or scuba diving in his beloved Hawaii. We will remember his continuous support of our achievements; his attendance at our sporting events and his portrayal of a classic Soccer Dad on the sidelines of the soccer field, his coaching suggestions often in direct contrast to instructions concurrently broadcasted from the bench.
We will miss Dad’s love, support, spontaneity, friendship, encouragement and of course his bear hugs. We invite all who wish to celebrate our father’s wonderful life to join us on Monday, July 16th at 1:00 pm at the Alfred Jenkins Field House, 2787 – 10th Avenue West in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Please join our family in wearing a blue article of clothing to represent Blue Skies: Have a good flight Dad.
In lieu of other tributes, donations can be directed to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan, 1 – 345 – 3rd Avenue S, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1M6. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.grays.ca. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Gray's Funeral Chapel, Drew Gray, Funeral Director.