James Alexander Barclay

BARCLAY, James Alexander - It is with great sadness that we announce Jim's peaceful passing at home on December 3, 2011 at the age of 88. Jim was the beloved husband of 62 years to Helen Barclay (Moore) and loving father of Helen Ewing (Bill), Alison Heppner (Erik) and Heather Barclay. Cherished grandfather to Will and Heather Ewing and Alexis and Andrew Heppner, brother to Elsie Bulloch, George Barclay and Heather Merriman. Jim was born in Glasgow, Scotland on October 29, 1923. After graduating from the University of Glasgow as a chemical engineer, he worked for 37 years on the "oil tour" for the British Petroleum Company, a career that culminated as Vice President of Refining in Montreal and Toronto. In his highly productive second career, Jim combined his two passions of writing and golf. A long time collector of antiquarian books, he served for three years as honorary curator at the Royal Canadian Golf Association, amassing information for his first book, Golf in Canada: A History, published in 1992, and was responsible for the Canadian Golf Foundation from 1983-1986. His definitive history of golf in Canada was followed by Canada's Professional Golfers: The Scottish Invasion published in 1997 and The Toronto Terror in 2000. He was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2008. He received the Dick Grimm Award from the Golf Journalists Association of Canada in 2010 and was inducted into the St. George's Golf and Country Club Hall of Fame in 2011. A celebration of his life will be held for family and friends at the Turner & Porter Butler Chapel, 4933 Dundas St. W., Etobicoke, (between Islington and Kipling Aves.) on Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow at St. George's Golf and Country Club (1668 Islington Avenue, Etobicoke). In lieu of flowers, donations to the National Golf in Schools Program (www.nationalgolfinschools.com) would be greatly appreciated in memory of Jim's life long devotion to the game of golf. Sincere thanks to the care givers from Integracare and Dr. Frances Budden at St. Joseph's Health Centre who helped make his last days so peaceful. Jim will be laid to rest at a private family ceremony. His legacy will endure for generations and he will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered. Online condolences may be made at www.turnerporter.ca