THOMPSON, James A. W.
July 30, 1923 - Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
April 20, 2016 - Calgary, Alberta
James A.W. (Jim) Thompson, our much loved uncle, great uncle and great-great uncle passed away in his ninety-second year on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at the Revera Mount Royal Care Center in Calgary.
Jim’s wife, our beloved Aunt Reta predeceased Jim in July of 2014. Jim was born on July 30, 1923 in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan and spent his youth there and attended school. Jim joined the Canadian Army and served overseas during the Second World War. On returning home to Canada, Jim married the love of his life, Reta May Stafford on September 28, 1944 and they remained married until Aunt Reta’s passing on July 11, 2014. After the war, Jim and Reta moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario and then to Atikokan where Jim took up employment with the Steep Rock Iron Mine as an electrician. After a few years there Jim and Reta moved to Vancouver B.C to enable Aunt Reta to pursue a career opportunity as an executive secretary in the years 1960-1965. In 1965 Jim had a dream of becoming a radio broadcaster and he and Aunt Reta returned to Moose Jaw and a position opened at CHAB Radio and Television and Jim got the job. He worked with Cy Knight and together, they produced live radio and television productions. Unfortunately, in 1970 layoffs occurred so Jim applied at the Saskatchewan Technical Institute as an instructor in electricity/electrical theory. Mindful of the educational requirements and employing his considerable intelligence and high degree of logic required for this new job, Jim enrolled in night classes at the University of Saskatchewan Regina Campus. There he earned a teaching certificate while still employed as an instructor at the Technical Institute, working there until he retired in 1988.
After retirement, Reta and Jim decided to live in Sidney B.C. and lived there until the Winter of 1988 and thereafter they moved again to Mission B.C. At this time both Jim and Reta began to speculate in real estate ventures which then took them to Westbank, Nanaimo, and then Kelowna B.C. After a few years in Kelowna, they moved to High River, Alberta and lived in a Duplex on the High River Golf Course until the flood of June 2013. Because of the flood, they were evacuated to the small hamlet of Blackie and from there to the Southeast Hospital Campus and thereafter, to the Revera Mount Royal Care Centre in Calgary due to severe health issues.
Reta and Jim were role models to and for countless members of their families and were loved and respected for their wisdom, fortitude and as an example of how to live exemplary lives and for a loving marriage spanning almost seven decades.
Jim is survived by nephew Wayne Soganic of Calgary, nieces Nancy Thompson and Katie Thompson of High River; nephew Tom Thompson (Beverley) of Drayton Valley, great nephew Sanford Thompson of Belize and his family; great niece Nancy (Ryan) Museyowski of Drayton Valley and Trish (Richard) of High River; great nephew Jamie and great-great nephew Levi also of High River; niece Violet Casavant (Morris) of Moose Jaw; great nephew Richard Casavant of Nelson, BC; great niece Eileen (Jeremy) Nagel and great-great nephew Nixon Nagel of Calgary; niece Rosemarie (Craig) Phillips of Edmonton; nephews Lawrence (Grace) Stafford & Tim Stafford of Moose Jaw, as well as many more nieces and nephews, and great nieces and great nephews.
The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff of the Revera Mount Royal Care for their wonderful quality of care provided to Jim for the past three years, most especially companions Valerie Tutty, Randy Olson and Lori Heffernan and senior social worker Emilia Klemann.
In Celebration of Jim’s Life a gathering will take place at MCINNIS & HOLLOWAY‘S Fish Creek Chapel (14441 Bannister Road South East, Calgary, Alberta) on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. Those wishing to make donations in Jim’s memory are encouraged to donate to the Canadian Wildlife Federation, 350 Michael Cowpland Drive, Kanata, Ontario K2M 2W1. www.cwf-fcf.org/en/
In living memory of Jim Thompson, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Fish Creek, 14441 BANNISTER ROAD S.E. Telephone: 403-256-9575.