Bob James

JAMES, Bob (William Robert) May 7, 1932 to August 10, 2015 A gentleman in every way, Bob grew up in Saskatchewan and Alberta but resided most of his life in BC. Known to all as a kind and generous person, Bob enjoyed his summers at their cabin in Winfield along with his wife, children, grandchildren and their endless number of friends and extended family members. His patience was extraordinary and he taught untold numbers how to water ski. If you were going to come to the lake, you had to water ski! Bob was an avid curler for most of his life and also enjoyed water skiing (until the age of 60!) snow skiing, baseball, and lawn bowling. He and Joan shared a passion for travelling and visited many near and faraway places. He volunteered for many years in the cardiac ward at the Jubilee Hospital wanting to give back. Bob enjoyed a varied career path, unusual in his day. Being an electrician in the cold Alberta winters led him to join IBM at age 20. He made good use of those electrician skills throughout the rest of his life working side jobs and always extending a helping hand to others. At IBM, he started out repairing time clocks and typewriters before moving into the new world of computers. During his 35 year career (retiring as a Service Manager) some highlights for him included the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Expo 86 in Vancouver and the Calgary Olympics. Not being one to sit still or quit learning, when most people just take it easy, Bob decided to get his insurance licence and he went on to sell Auto insurance part time for the next 15 years as he and Joan traveled the world. Most of all Bob loved his family; his wife Joan of 59 years, his children Brian (Jean), Brenda (Steve) and Pam (Phil) and his five grandchildren, Robyn (Alex), Riley, Sydney, Holly & Reid, and he lived that love for them everyday. Please drop by and join us in celebrating his life and to share memories at an Open House on Saturday, August 29, 2015 between 1pm and 4pm at the Highland Pacific Golf Course, 450 Creed Road, Victoria, BC. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson's Centre, 202-1640 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria, BC V8R 1B2.