James L. LINGERFELT

October 10, 1947 - August 03, 2023

Jim Lingerfelt was born in Sterling, Kansas to Marge and Larry Lingerfelt, the older and only brother of Joy Lingerfelt, who survives him. He was the protagonist of an epic and eventful life, lived in three Acts:

Act 1: The Boy in the Desert. Jim spent his developmental years in the desert southwest, attending elementary school and studying Architecture and Engineering at Northern Arizona University. He would carry this love of architecture and design throughout his life, often modifying and improving the many homes in which he would live.

Act 2: Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. Jim moved to Canada and married Maria (née Basso) in 1968, raising three children: Jason Bathurst (né Lingerfelt, and wife, Rhonda), Alexander and Angela. He worked for Sears Canada as a Corporate General Manager in Toronto and accepted an early retirement in 1990. The family exchanged the GTA suburbs in Mississauga for country life in Teeswater where Jim restored an old farmhouse while working as a Sales Associate for the Teeswater News and Clifford News until 1995. While there, he fostered a new creative outlet as a Theatre and Restaurant Critic, starting an online review website called Stagedoor. He also co-authored two volumes of local history: The Lines of Howick, the History of Howick Township 1856 - 1995.

Act 3: Modern Family. Jim met Roger Kershaw, whom he considered the great love of his life, in 1995 while living in Stratford, Ontario. Rog and Jim would merge into one thoroughly modern, extended family as Jim entered the lives of Keith (and wife Leah; children Harrison and Freya), Christian, and Ian (and partner Lindsay). Jim and Rog's union was one of the first formally recognized as a legal marriage by the Ontario government in 2003. Returning to Toronto, Jim brought his architectural skills to an Office Manager position at Carson, Dunlop, Weldon, and Associates in 1998. That same year, Jim and Rog established their luxury boutique Toronto Downtown Bed & Breakfast (TDB&B), a popular wedding venue and discrete celebrity retreat. The Polite One (Rog) and the Rude One/aka Grumpy Puppy (Jim), would operate the popular B&B in four consecutive downtown locations, including Temple Avenue, Jarvis Street, Chicora Avenue and Richmond Street W., welcoming thousands of guests "home" with a signature Lemon Drop martini, and forging many life-long friendships. They travelled extensively, luxuriating in the most exquisite locations and enjoying family, friends, and experiences to the fullest. In 2007 they established Roger Kershaw Custom Travel Inc. and relocated to Victoria, BC. Their beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Rupert, came into their lives in 2015 and accompanied them on many adventures. In 2018, Jim returned to the US Southwest, as he and Rog added California as an alternative address to their home in BC, with successive homes in Palm Springs, Beverly Hills and North Hollywood.

Jim joined the ranks of other esteemed celebrities who passed away at Cedars Sinai Medical Centre in the City of Angels on August 3rd, 2023, after a brief illness. Exit stage left.

The family thanks the oncology team at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, California, for their attentive care. Jim was cremated, and friends and family will gather intimately in View Royal, BC on Saturday, September 9th, 2023, to celebrate the love, life, and legacy of this most beloved and remarkable of men.