August 31, 2020
It is with sadness we announce the death of Jim (Seumas) on August 31, 2020 at the age of 79. Mourning his loss are Joanne Mackay (Henry), Duncan Mackay (Jennifer) and grandchildren Patrick, James, Anna, Maggie and Ruby. He is predeceased by his sister Deidre.
Born in Perthshire, Scotland he later moved to the Isle of Mull. After attending agricultural college, Jim set sail from Liverpool to Montreal aboard the Cunard Carinthia in May of 1960. Travelling by train to Chilliwack, he cut a dashing figure as he stepped into his new life. Initially a farm labourer, it was as a logger for Canfor that he met and married the vibrant Margaret Dornan (deceased 2012). After daughter Joanne was born in 1966, the family moved to Rivers Inlet for Jim's job with the Fisheries department and Duncan arrived shortly after in 1968.
Jim had a yearning for new scenery and never spent more than 10 years in one place. Alternately he lived in Chilliwack, Enderby, and N Vancouver before fulfilling his dream of retiring back to his childhood home on Mull. Torn between his lifelong loves of Scotland and BC and his distant family, he returned to Vernon in 2013, settling in Parker Cove on Okanagan Lake. There he was surrounded by kind neighbours and excellent golfing. He made exceptional friends wherever he chose to set down as his many friends on both sides of the pond can attest.
Always up for a party Jim loved to hit the dance floor or share a pint. Intelligent, curious and open minded, he was a wonderful conversationalist, a stubborn Scot, a warm-hearted grandpa, and a loving father. A lifelong fan of the Canucks, he was a passionate golfer who enjoyed the social aspect as much as playing the game. He was inordinately proud of his children and grandchildren.
He will be so sorely missed.