In memoriam James F.D. "Jim" Mitchell
On New Year’s Eve, the Mitchell family of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, suffered the sudden and unexpected loss of their beloved husband, father, and "Grampy," James Francis Donald "Jim" Mitchell. At the age of 89, Jim passed away at home following a joyful dinner out with his wife Marg and dear friends. His departure leaves a profound void in his family and in the community he served so tirelessly throughout his life.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, on May 8, 1936, Jim was the second of four sons of James Mitchell, of Scottish heritage, and Eva (Sherlock) Mitchell, of Irish roots (this combination actually explains a lot). His boyhood was marked by adventure: exploring the streets, rock fights, collecting scrap for the war effort, playing football and basketball, canoeing, his band and, most enduringly, embracing the values of Scouting.
After high school (and an ill-advised try-out for the Toronto Argonauts - he weighed just under 160 pounds), Jim joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and headed to Regina, Saskatchewan for training. This was a time when the single most important aspect of Mountie training was still ‘horsemanship’. Upon graduating, he requested an initial posting to Vancouver, BC. Instead, he got Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Lucky for him.
Jim settled into his new posting and soon met the love of his life, a pretty nursing assistant named Margaret Isabelle Aloysius (had to put that in there, Mom) MacMillan. They first crossed paths when Constable Mitchell arrived at Western Memorial Hospital late one evening with a seriously injured man. He returned the next day and tried, in vain, to convince the senior nurse that police business required him to obtain Margaret’s address and telephone number. He was persistent, and a romance eventually ensued, but the Force had other ideas. At the time, officers were not permitted to marry until completing five years of service and Jim was only two years in. He chose love over red serge and resigned.
Post-RCMP, Jim joined Underwriters Adjustment Bureau as an insurance adjuster, initially in Corner Brook, then in Sydney NS, and finally, in New Glasgow. There, Jim and Marg raised their two children and settled down for the rest of their lives. He never wanted to be anywhere else.
While ‘home’ was in town, "Glenfalloch Farm", a 100-acre parcel of land inherited from Marg’s side of the family, became Jim’s fortress of solitude. Jim raised laying hens and maintained a large vegetable garden. He bought pigs, sheep, goats, and a cow. These larger animals, essentially pets, were given names and died of old age. He kept ponies and horses for the grandchildren, fostering their love of animals and creating two junior equestrians. Always one to have a project, when the farm animals were gone, he pivoted and built a ‘golf course’.
At Underwriters Jim eventually worked his way up to Branch Manager, developing expertise in complex investigations, including the Westray Mine disaster. While he enjoyed a challenging and varied career, his true passion was always community service.
His list of activities and accolades is far too long to fully capture, but includes 17 years coaching High School Girls' Basketball, 22 years leading Boy Scouts and Venturers, serving terms as Governor and Treasurer of the Atlantic Institute of Education, Board Member of the Aberdeen Hospital, Vice Chair of the Northern Regional Health Board, Town Councillor and Deputy Mayor of the Town of New Glasgow, Member of the New Glasgow Police Commission, and Chairman of the New Glasgow Riverfront Development Society, the New Glasgow Recreation Commission, as well as both the Trinity United Church Board of Trustees and Building Committee. As if that wasn’t enough, he also served terms as President of:
The Nova Scotia School Board Association;
The Canadian School Board Association;
The Atlantic Canada Junior Chamber of Commerce (and National Vice President);
The New Glasgow Rotary Club (where he received Rotary’s highest honour, the Paul Harris Fellowship Life Membership);
The New Glasgow Music Festival;
The New Glasgow Festival of the Tartans;
The St. Andrew’s Society of Pictou County;
The Pictou County YMCA (two terms); and
The United Way of Pictou County (where he also dedicated 12 years as a Board member).
Jim was a longtime member and past-Potentate of the Philae Shriners. He was a member of the Shriner Clown Unit, appearing in parades and events all over NS and PEI. A small plaque bearing his name hangs at the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Montreal, acknowledging his efforts in securing support for the building of the new hospital there. He passionately lobbied for the Montreal location, mainly because of its closer proximity to Atlantic Canada.
He was a dedicated member of the Liberal party, both federally and provincially, and served a term as Vice President of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. He not only travelled to Ottawa to attend Pierre Trudeau’s funeral, but got up early and was first in line to pay his respects (he later admitted that he was actually second in line, but "managed to get by the guy ahead of me").
Last year, Jim received an unexpected package at home. Inside was a King Charles III Coronation Medal, awarded to him "for dedicated service to your peers, to your community, to Nova Scotia, and to Canada." He had no idea he had been nominated and teared up in the kitchen. He never asked for, or expected, anything in return for his efforts.
Jim was never anything less than himself, a trait that sometimes rubbed people the wrong way. He was the most stubborn man we knew, rarely (never?) admitted he was wrong, and was often away from home for his volunteer activities. He could be direct, sarcastic, and confrontational. He was an occasional hockey-rink fighter (in the stands, not on the ice), gave his Scout and Venturer charges an overly long leash at times (they all turned out pretty well it should be noted), and his sartorial choices were sometimes questionable. He challenged speeding tickets in court (once "proving" that a car he was passing was going faster than he was). He was supremely confident and never intimidated, which didn’t always work in his favour.
Sometimes his impatience paid dividends. Looking to skirt the exit line at a political event at the 1995 Halifax G7 meetings, he opted for the route reserved for the world leaders and led Marg straight past security and into a private reception for the Presidents, Prime Ministers, and their entourages. He and Marg spent the better part of an hour chatting up Bill Clinton, John Major, and (in Marg’s words, "that nice little ‘eyetalian’ man") Prime Minister Dini. After joining the group for an evening-ending fireworks display, the jig was up when they exited a door reserved for the official motorcades. They were redirected by a polite protocol officer.
No one can ever accuse Jim of not living his life to the fullest. He took every opportunity to become involved in something new and prioritized having fun. He loved to laugh, enjoyed watching Saturday morning cartoons until well into adulthood, and told (mostly) bad jokes. A point of pride was winning second place in a Rotary Club Stand-Up Comedy Competition. He played men’s league basketball, refereed high school and men’s league games, played floor hockey, organized "cultural" adventure travel for the Scouts and Venturers, and enjoyed hunting and fishing trips with his buddies. His RCMP training meant he was an excellent driver and he possessed an uncanny sense of direction. Later in life, reading became an obsession and he finally learned to sit quietly.
He never smoked or drank—ever—with the exception of one late-in-life errant encounter with a bottle of what he described as "the worst lemonade I’ve ever tasted". We had to tell him.
Family life was full of adventures, including summer cottage rentals at Point 44, sailing his 20-foot boat, trips to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, Toronto, various New England states, Expo ’67, and a road trip from Tijuana to Vancouver. He and Marg travelled extensively to Shriners' events around North America, and made a long-desired trip to the UK where he found the old family home in Glasgow. He wouldn’t take us on our first U.S. vacation until we had visited all ten Canadian provinces. He made sure that the family was together to watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon.
Jim’s grandchildren were his pride and joy. Alongside Marg, he attended as many hockey, basketball, and rugby games, dance recitals, and horseback-riding exhibitions as humanly possible. He looked forward to their frequent visits to the family home and his own travels to visit the Halifax crowd with Marg.
In the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt’s "The man in the arena," Jim Mitchell was a "doer of deeds" who spent himself in worthy causes. He dared (perhaps greatly), loved deeply, and served without reservation. New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and Canada have lost a true pillar. He leaves an enduring legacy of caring, leadership, and joie de vivre.
Jim is survived by his wife and partner of 67 years, Marg; his children, son Randy, aka "Pal," (Maureen), Halifax, daughter Kim (Ed), New Glasgow, and his five grandchildren, Mandy, Mitchell (Savannah), Erin (Dan), Liam and Hannah, plus five grand-dogs. He is also survived by two brothers, Walter and Don, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, his older brother, Robert, and his sister-in-law, Nancy.
The Mitchell family would like to offer sincere thanks to Jim’s physicians, Dr. Hack and Dr. Kaiprath, for their excellent care of Jim over the years; to the New Glasgow Fire Department, EHS, and Det. Cst’s Kris and Trudi for their quick response and caring approach; to Reverend Donna Tourneur for her support and guidance, and to Jody at Shoppers Drug Mart for all of her care. A special thanks to Jim’s friend, Wayne Urquhart, for supplying him with copious reading materials over the last few years.
There will be no visitation. Funeral 2pm Wednesday, January 7, Trinity United Church, 151 Temperance St., New Glasgow, with Rev. Donna Tourneur officiating. Reception to follow. Masonic service, 2pm Wednesday, Trinity United Church (prior to the funeral). Arrangements are under the direction of R.H. Porter Funeral Home, New Glasgow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of choice.
