James Andrew Swanston
November 10, 1929 – November 15, 2022
Jim, a much-loved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, died peacefully at the age of 93. Born in Peterborough in 1929, Jim was the only child of Helen (Burgess) and Maxwell Swanston.
Growing up in Peterborough, Jim was an avid east-city baseball player. He attended PCVS, drummed in the marching band, boxed, played football and rugby and loved to shoot pool at the YMCA. He went on to study at Queen’s University, graduating in 1952. At Queen’s, Jim met lifelong friends; they were loyal alumni, donning their jackets, tams and scarves for homecoming events in Kingston for more than 60 years. He was proud to pass on his tam and scarf to one of his granddaughters.
Jim’s career took him to Western Canada and Toronto and eventually he returned to Peterborough to join his father, Max, in the printing business, operating Peterborough Printing in Peterborough and Kingston for more than 30 years. He was a man who respected history and loved to preserve and share his memories.
Service to the community was a passion of Jim’s, and inspired by his father, he also developed a love of politics. He contributed on many local Boards, from the Peterborough Sales and Ad, to Civic Hospital, Trent University and the Peterborough Police Services Board. He volunteered as campaign manager on several political campaigns. He was a long-time member of the Gabbers. He didn’t care much for TV, but never missed an episode of Power & Politics on CBC.
Jim deeply loved the women in his life – his wife Marion (Crawford), with whom he shared more than 65 adventurous years; his four daughters, Anne (Wayne Ross), Jan (Rob van Velzen (deceased)), Karen (Randy Sjolin), and Cathy (Roy Ramos). Jim was surrounded by girls – even the Siamese cats were female.
Jim delighted in the lives of his grandchildren – Gordon, Ian, Erika, Julia, Max, Cassie, Sam and Stephanie. He enjoyed, when possible, taking them on the train at the Peterborough Zoo, and introducing them to the art of taming the chipmunks at the lake.
The lake was where Jim felt most at home- paddling with Marion, sharing meals and good times with friends, reading the paper, clipping newspaper articles for his family, watching the birds at the feeder, calling his girls to share updates about the weather and his latest bird visitors, inventing schemes to foil the raccoons and squirrels, collecting antiques and treasures, growing plants and generally enjoying life.
His family loved, honoured, and will always remember his fierce commitment to his loved ones, to memories, to stories, to dignity, and to life.
One ship sails East,
And another West,
By the self-same winds that blow,
‘Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales,
That tells the way we go.
Like the winds of the sea
Are the waves of time,
As we journey along through life,
‘Tis the set of the soul,
That determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox ~
A private family service will be held on Friday November 18th at Ashburnham Funeral Home. Online condolences and cherished memories may be shared with Jim’s family at www.ashburnhamfuneral.ca
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jim’s memory to Hospice Peterborough would be appreciated.
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Tuesday November 15th 2022
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Jim Swanston Tuesday November 15th 2022..
Décès pour la Ville:Peterborough, Province: Ontario