JIM GIBBONS

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JIM GIBBONS With heavy hearts, we are deeply saddened to announce that Jim Gibbons passed away peacefully in his home on August 29, 2017 surrounded by his beloved and adoring wife of 38 years, Iriss, and his loving daughter and son, Jessica and Ryan. Jim was 69 years young. He will be extremely missed by his granddaughters Portia and Madeleine who thought their Gigi was just the greatest. Jim was born in Winnipeg, predeceased by his parents James and Joyce and brother Greg. Deeply saddened by their loss are his brother, Randy, his sister Shar, his children from his first marriage, Jimmy and Corey and their children, Joshua, Jordan and Jada and Jasper. Jim loved to play and watch many sports and he was Ryan's greatest fan throughout his career in hockey, as both a player and an official. He was very proud and supportive of any endeavour that his children pursued, only ever asking that they "work hard and have fun". His family has all looked to him for guidance and advice, as did many friends. Iriss has received many calls over the years asking, "What would Jim do?". Jim had many titles; husband, father, grandfather, friend and mentor. He genuinely cared about his loved ones and everyone he met through business and social circles. He had a passion for great food, fine wines, cooking, skiing, reading, golf, renovating and travelling with Iriss, Jessica, Ryan and close friends. He was always upbeat, smiling, and seeing the positive in everything. Jim was very accomplished but his greatest joy came from sharing what he had with others. Jim was a force in his Winnipeg days as the founder of J. J. Gibbons & Co. If you're from Winnipeg, you will likely remember the billboards all around the city that read: "Thanks a lot J.J.". Jim's business became a huge Prairie success story in the late 70s until he sold the business and left Manitoba for a round-the-world trip with his new bride, Iriss. This would be the beginning of a life characterized by a love of travel and adventure that Jim, always the entrepreneurial non-conformist, would soon transform into an internationally known business. Jim and Iriss eventually settled in West Vancouver where they raised their family. Jim joined Vancouver-based Intrawest in 1992 and was a key member of the firm's Executive Committee during the company's rise from a single resort (Blackcomb Mountain) to the largest developer of destination resorts in the world. As the President of Club Intrawest from its inception, to when the parent company was sold in October of 2006, Jim introduced numerous innovations to the vacation club industry and set standards of excellence that remain measures of success to this day. In business, as in his personal life, Jim was intensely loyal and, like all people who change the way we look at the world, he will be remembered for his passion and vision. Jim was a great contributor to his community of Vancouver helping to raise funds and awareness for many charities. He led the B.C. Special Olympics capital campaign to fund a National Games involving more than 40,000 athletes in training and competitions across Canada. One of his proudest accomplishments was the role he played in securing Vancouver as a host city for the 2010 Olympics as a member of the Olympic Bid Committee. An intimate Celebration of Life will be held in the future. The Gibbons family would be grateful of donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation in lieu of flowers. Jim's own love of life and family as well as his sincere hope for people everywhere is encapsulated in this narrative he co-authored for Club Intrawest. Life is all about time. When we're young, we live in the moment and time seems to stretch out endlessly before us. Then, at some point, we recognize that the time we've let pass is irretrievable. Suddenly, as the world continues to speed up - as we find there are more and more and still more demands on our time - the most precious thing in our lives becomes our "freedom time", the time we have just for ourselves and those closest to us. These are the great moments in our lives. The great memories you can look forward to and depend upon time after time. Jim's family and close friends will always remember him as a true original; a one-of-a-kind. Forever loved, remembered always.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 16, 2017