Obituary of James Stanton
Jim sailed peacefully to his next adventure on Friday, February 26, 2016. Born in Paisley, Scotland on November 20, 1925, Jim overcame many obstacles to enjoy the life of his dreams. As a poor child of the fractious Clydebank environment of the ‘20s and ‘30s, he relocated to Dunstable, England along with his parents, brother (Roger) and sisters (Sarah and Margaret). It was here that he met his first love, kind and beautiful, Jane (Burgess). This move, along with several years spent in Burma (with the Royal Army Service Corps.), must have ignited his passion for travel. After spending more than 25 years working as a Tool and Die Maker at the Empire Rubber Co., Jim decided to take Jane and their two children to Australia. At the eleventh hour, these plans changed and visions of Christmases spent sunbathing on the beach were blown away by 1960s-style Ontario blizzards. He arrived in London, Ontario with no acceptable trade papers but with a glowing letter of recommendation from his British employers and a lead on a job at Webster Air. Within a year, he realized his dream of owning a house. After obtaining the appropriate papers, Jim took a position at GM. This enabled him to realize two more dreams… that of owning brand-new, giant American cars and of messing about on tanks, trains and armoured vehicles. He worked in GM’s Locomotive Division until his retirement which, unfortunately, coincided with Jane’s sad and untimely death. Always athletic and with much time on his hands, Jim quickly became an avid and talented golfer. He also realized many more of his dreams… those of owning a second home in Florida (a warm place to wait out winter and play golf); parachuting; bungee-jumping; gliding and countless travels and cruises. This dapper little man was also fortunate enough to meet Irene McCallum. Together, they travelled, played and dined around the world. She also loved and cared for him during some of his most difficult times and until his residency at Dearness Home in London. Jim will be missed by many… his children: Ian (Marilyn) Stanton; Lynne (Guy) Nicoletti; his grandson Marc Nicoletti (Kara Grills); Irene McCallum and her family; his many nieces and nephews (to whom he was a favourite Uncle) and his friends, who remember him as the Little guy with the Big smile. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff of the Dearness Home – especially those who so tirelessly and patiently help the residents of Oakdale. A memorial gathering in honour of Jim Stanton will be held at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London, on Sunday, March 20, 2016 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. with words of remembrance at 3:00 p.m. – friends and family are welcome. If you would like to commemorate Jim, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer Society of London and Middlesex or to the charity of your choice.
