JEAN TAYLOR JAMES (STRACHAN)

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JEAN TAYLOR JAMES
(nee STRACHAN)

Jean was born in Glasgow, Scotland on December 8, 1935, and passed away three days shy of her 85th birthday on December 5, 2020, at the Park Manor Care Home in Winnipeg, following a brief but courageous battle with Covid-19.
She was predeceased by her husband Ken, parents, Wilson and Mattie Strachan, sister Grace Golding (Albert), and younger brother Jim.
The Strachan family officially immigrated to Canada from Scotland in the 1950s, after Wilson was recruited by the Canadian National Railway to begin a career in the CN Shops in Transcona, MB as a Pipefitter. Initially, Wilson came to Canada by himself to begin work and to find housing for his family. A house was eventually purchased on Melrose Avenue in Transcona, and the family settled in and quickly blended into the community. It was in Transcona, likely at the United Church, where a young and bonnie Jean met and fell in love with Ken James, and they were married in 1956. Over the following 60+ years, Jean was mother to four children: Barb (Randy), Sandra, Linda and Donnie (Teresa). Jean was also the very proud grandmother to Tracy, Alan, Karen, Kristie, Stacey, Ryan, Seth, Kenneth, Jessica, Justin, Samantha, Dylan and Logan, and she also had 10 great-grandchildren. If you ever had the pleasure of visiting her in her home, you would remember how she loved to display pictures of those close to her on her fridge, which was always completely adorned with smiles and memories of those she held dear to her heart.
Jean and Ken were adventurers at heart, and enjoyed many road trips with their young family where they would travel for days down to California or western Canada pulling their trailer and camping at night under the stars. They also enjoyed trips to Scotland and Mexico, and loved to visit their cabin at Lake Wanipigow where Jean would spend hours clearing brush and burning the wood at her outdoor fire pit. She loved to go blueberry picking with cabin friends and to drive (to be clear...Jean did not drive, it was Ken) her guests to the local dump to observe the bears dining out in the evening.
Jean worked at the Transcona Florist for many years and it quickly became another opportunity for her to make lifelong friends. Described as incredibly social, she would never miss a chance to pop into one of her favourite coffee shops to visit and chat with old friends and to make new ones. Her smile and lilting Scottish accent always made it easy for breaking the ice.
Jean spent her last few years at Park Manor Personal Care Home in Transcona, and we are very grateful for the very high level of service provided by staff there. Thank you to the brave, unselfish caregivers that allowed Jean to be loved and cherished by family and friends, especially in the most difficult times and all during Covid.
Jean has always supported the "Siloam Mission", and if you are so inclined, a donation there or to a charity of your choice would mean a lot to her memory.
A private family funeral will be held when the weather is warmer and hopefully a vaccine available.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 12, 2020