James Jones

JAMES CONWAY JONES
Following a brief but courageous battle with cancer, Jim slipped earth’s surly bonds at age 63 on June 27, 2015 to join his parents, Sylvia and David. He was a confounded individual, who, by his own admission, had his feet firmly planted in the clouds. Influenced by counterculture perspectives, he was suspicious of worldly ambition and appalled by political correctness. Jim had a taste for the quieter, gentler virtues of kindness, dedication and politeness. In his own words, “life had no more meaning than that of a song or dance and at the heart of things, lay a fierce harmony which at its finest, most sublime, is love”. An athlete (soccer and hockey) with a love of sport, Jim was a multidimensional, adventurous spirit who blazed his own path. As a scholar, philosopher, historian and thinker he had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and understanding how things work. His love of the land coupled with his deep devotion to family inspired extensive exploration of his beloved Toronto and beyond to all corners of Canada’s geography. Jim had eclectic and ever evolving tastes in music and art, and a passion for tales, the cosmic and the fantastic. Literature, satire and comedy rounded out his appreciation of human creativity and insight. Out of this love of humanity came empathy for the powerless and the humble. Born in Toronto of doughty Welsh and Romanian/Canadian stock, Jim graduated from University of Toronto with a degree in Philosophy and Anthropology. He worked in research at Ontario Hydro/Kinectrics for 25 years. Jim will be forever cherished and missed by his wife, Arlene (Saito), loving children, Nicholas and Jacqueline (Andrew), brother Bryn (Lourdes), brothers-in-law Ron (Pat), Neil (Vickey), nieces and nephews and family and friends in Ontario, Saskatchewan, England and Wales. The aching void left by his passing will, with time, be filled by the countless, wonderful memories he has left us. A private family service will take place today with cremation to follow. Online condolences may be left at Jim’s Book of Memories at www.wardfuneralhome.com