JAMES RONALD MCKIM

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JAMES RONALD MCKIM April 9, 1947 - April 16, 2005 One week after his 58th birthday, James McKim's courageous battle with pancreatic cancer ended on his own terms: at his Lily Pad Bay home, looking out at peaceful Lake of the Woods and with his family at his side. Dad will be lovingly remembered by his devoted wife of 37 years, Valerie; his sons, Jamie (Sabrina) and Kenneth (Karen); and granddaughter Signy. He is also survived by his brothers, Lance and Doug; sister Colleen; and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He will also be sadly missed by his adopted granddaughter Dallas. Dad was born in Red Lake, ON and grew up in the Fort Rouge area of Winnipeg. Somehow Mom diverted his attention from drag racing to raising a family, which he did wholeheartedly. Always a tireless worker, his early occupations included laying tile, auto mechanic and concrete construction worker. He worked many years at the Shell Refinery in St. Boniface prior to its closing and then established and ran a successful milk franchise business. Upon his retirement in 1999, Dad worked as a fishing guide part-time from his Lake of the Woods home. Dad was an accomplished angler, dominating the professional walleye fishing tournament scene in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario for much of the 1980s. While most of us hope to catch one Master Angler trophy sized fish in our lifetime, Dad was able to catch numerous Master Anglers in no less than 12 different species of fish. Whether it was fishing for walleye at Lake of the Woods or amberjack and barracuda off the coast of Mexico, Dad was in his glory with a fishing rod in his hand. Dad also loved the roar of the drag racing strip, a win by his Bruins (especially against the Habs), summers at Lily Pad Bay and winters in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. His friendship, sarcastic sense of humour and famous fish frys will be greatly missed by his many, many friends across Canada, as well as throughout the United States and Mexico. Often quiet when it came to matters of the heart, Dad parented by example. His life lessons of hard work, dedication to family and enjoyment of time in nature will never be forgotten. Our family would like to thank Dr. Bruce-Houle, Dr. Bevridge, the nursing staff from CCAC and the staff at Kenora General Hospital for all their care and support. A special thank you to our Aunt Maureen, who travelled from Kelowna to care and nurse Dad so that he could spend his final days at home. In keeping with Dad's wishes, no formal funeral service will take place. He has asked to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the waters of Lake of the Woods and Mexico. A Celebration of Dad's life will be held in Lake of the Woods in June. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. Condolences can be sent to Valerie McKim, in care of BOX 748, Keewatin, ON P0X 1C0.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 23, 2005