Robert James (Jim) Edwards
April 9, 1946 – September 14, 2020 – The family of Jim Edwards (74years of age) announces his passing on September 14, 2020 from complications while waiting for a lung transplant, in Toronto, Ontario.
Born into an air force family, Jim and his sister and best-friend, Lynn, accompanied their parents on their travels across the country and around the world until the family settled in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.
Jim spent his post-high school days causing trouble at St. Francis Xavier and mischievously meandering in Canada and abroad. A chance meeting on the side of the road introduced him to his late wife Pearl (he was hitch-hiking, she was driving). While his humour and worldly knowledge were intriguing to Pearl, the down-to-earth farm girl told Jim she wouldn’t give him the time of day until he shaped-up and made something of himself. Jim chose a career in engineering and, following his graduation from the Technical University of Nova Scotia in 1979, he worked for and eventually became a partner in Maritime Testing and was at the helm of the company until his retirement in 2001.
Pearl and Jim had two sons, “the boys” – Peter and James. They enjoyed decades of love and laughter with family and friends on ski trips, Florida trips, sailing and other travelling adventures. They provided a memorable gathering place for the boys, their friends, and the barn girls. Pearl passed away in 2006 from cancer at the age of 54.
Close friends and family have always felt that Jim had a lucky horseshoe stored in a dark place, and to prove that point, Jim met Debbie Gillie on a Ski Club 30 trip, and was lucky enough to convince her to fall in love with him. They married in 2012 and spent the following years living life to the fullest by running a bed and breakfast, travelling, spending winters skiing and cottaging in Wentworth, and summers sailing on St. Margaret’s Bay. Their packed social calendar was a testament to the life they created together – they brought fun and laughter to any room they entered. Cherished moments were often spent at the family ski cottage, telling tales of a great ski day, enjoying one of Debbie’s delicious meals, and laughing at one of Jim’s stories. Never one to ‘let the truth get in the way of a good story’, Jim could always be relied on to tell a tale to brighten the mood in any room. Some of his stories were even true. His humour, his smile, and the twinkle in his eye will be sadly missed by all who were lucky enough to know him. Jim enjoyed time spent with a wide group of friends, including the Two Gulls gang, the Ski Club 30, the St. FX boys,
Wentworth friends, tourism friends, the Hubbards community and marina crew, and friends from the St. Margaret Sailing Club.
Jim is survived and remembered with love and affection by his devoted wife, Debbie, his sons James (Chantal) of St. Margaret’s Bay and Peter (Corinne) of Halifax, along with step-daughters Karen (Steven) of Bedford and Denise (Jason) of Eastern Passage, and sister Lynn Hay of Oakville, Ontario. Jim’s fun-loving nature will be missed in a special way by his grandchildren: Henry, Helen, Austin, Audrey, Vaiden and Chelsea, along with many cousins, nieces and nephews. Jim was predeceased by his parents, Marion and Robert Edwards, sister-in-law, Janet Duffett, brother-in-law, Larry Hay, and his late wife, Pearl.
The family would like to thank the staff of the Toronto General Hospital, especially the 12 th floor Transplant Team and the 10 th Floor Respirology Team, who diligently and compassionately cared for Jim.
Cremation has taken place. Funeral arrangements are being determined and will be distributed when confirmed. There will be an interment in Fairview Cemetery, Lawrencetown, Annapolis Co., at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim’s memory may be made to the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Now the great winds shoreward blow; Now the salt tides seaward flow; Now the wild white horses play: Champ and chase and toss in the spray.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Robert “Jim James Edwards Monday September 14th 2020..
Ronald A. Walker Funeral Homes
Death notice for the town of: , Province: Nova Scotia