James FOORT

JAMES FOORT December 10, 1921 -April 15, 2020 Jim, aged 98, died at Crofton Manor Care Home Wednesday, April 15th, after a short illness. Jim was born in Vancouver, but from the age of 4 lived on Quadra Island until he left home to take wireless operator training in Vancouver at the outbreak of war. When the war ended, Jim attended the University of Toronto where he received a BA.Sc, and MA.Sc in Chemical Engineering. His first job was as a bioengineer at Sunnybrook Veterans Hospital. He went to work at the University of California, Berkeley, then to Winnipeg, and finally in 1971 to the University of British Columbia where he worked until his retirement in 1986. In 2005, Jim was awarded an honorary D.Sc. at Queen's University for his lifetime's work in engineering, prosthetics, orthotics, and teaching. Jim was a lifelong learner, philosopher and visionary. He was an accomplished painter, he built a stone house on Quadra Island, he wrote books, and in his final years he wrote an opera. Jim leaves four children, Heather, Michael, Ernie and Peter, 9 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. Michael remembers Jim's fathering energy being shared with many others including neighborhood kids, children's friends, foster children and many of his colleagues and protégés. Jim will be greatly missed by his family and all his many friends for his wit, wisdom, and generous warmth. Family and friends enjoyed time with Jim, exploring the creative possibilities and wonders of life, art and community.