April 7, 1921 - November 14, 2016
A special, gentle man.
Jim passed away quietly at home at the age of 95. He leaves behind his loving wife of 15 years, Sue Purdom, and granddaughter Chrystal Munro.
Born in Winnipeg, April 7, 1921. The family moved to N. Battleford, Saskatchewan, where they lived for two years, then moved to Victoria, B.C., where they lived until 1939.
At the age of 14, Jim left school and went to work to support the family due to his father being a disabled veteran from WWI. He started a machinist fitter apprenticeship on the government docks.
At 18, he joined the Navy as a stoker on the HMCS Chilliwack and sailed the Atlantic for three years (26 trips). On one of these trips, he was lucky enough to escort Prime Minister Churchill on the battleship Prince of Whales to meet President Roosevelt in Newfoundland. This is where the Atlantic Treaty was signed to bring the U.S. into WWII.
Jim also obtained his Marine Certificate, which included his Engineer status.
In 1940 while on leave, he married Vera (deceased in 1999), a nurse, and they moved to Halifax.
In 1944, Jim received severe burns to his legs after an explosion and spent 40 days at sea without medical attention. He spent six months in the hospital in Halifax. Penicillin was just invented and this is what saved his legs. Jim was given a medical discharge and returned to Victoria where he finished an apprenticeship as a machinist. Meanwhile, he had time to complete a BC stationary Engineer course and apprenticeship to receive his certificate by work in Esquimalt, Ocean Falls and Pt. Mellon.
In 1949, while in Ocean Falls, their son Grant was born (deceased in 2010).
In 1951, while on loan to Canfor in Pt. Mellon, they fell in love with Gibsons. They never left. He retired after 30 years as Chief Engineer with Canfor.
For two years, Jim learned to golf and as he said "bummed around". He loved the game so much, he became a major contributor in the development of the Sunshine Coast Golf Club and was voted President in 1975. He still continued to attend the Annual Past President's dinners until he was 93.
In 1985, Jim went back to work. This time he joined the real estate business and worked until he was 90, when he turned in his license. Although he wasn't active the last few years, he enjoyed getting up and being at the office at 9:00 to have coffee and read the paper with his buddies.
During his time in Gibsons, he was President of the Kiwanis Club, where he volunteered many hours fundraising. He also helped establish the Kiwanis seniors apartment and care facilities, where he served as a board member.
A special thank you for all the care that was given to Jim during his time at home.