Obituary of James David Kernaghan
It is with heavy hearts that the family of Jim Kernaghan announce his passing at the age of 76 surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, June 5th, 2016 at University Hospital, London. The volume of testimonies written by the many people whose lives he has touched with his character and grace are evidence of his equally strong and kind nature. These memorials have given the family much comfort in our time of sorrow. He will join his beloved father James, mother Margaret, sister Margie and nephew Thomas. He is survived by his loving wife Carol (nee Penner), son Sean, daughter Cara, son James, and son Terence and their beloved spouses. Jim took great delight in the exploits of his grandchildren, who adored him: Shauna, Scarlett, Darragh, Ronan, Irina, and Tiarnan. Sisters Maureen, Trish, brother John, brothers- and sisters-in-law and many beloved nieces and nephews will miss him but enjoy the wealth of memories Jim leaves behind. Jim will also be fondly remembered by colleagues, neighbours, and friends both lifelong and new. His passion for writing and sport translated into a full and rich life that provided him many rewarding and exhilarating moments. Jim began his career at the Ryersonian and worked briefly at the Canadian Press before joining the Sports department at the Toronto Star. In 1981 he joined the London Free Press staff and continued there until 2006. After retiring, Jim wrote the occasional travel and sports article as a freelance journalist. During his career, he visited every continent except Antarctica. His career spanned six decades and he covered four Commonwealth Games, five Olympic Games, six World Cups, numerous Grey Cups as well as more than 25 of Muhammad Ali's bouts. WHA, NHL, minor pro leagues, juniors, high school, and university sport were also part of his broad body of work, a highlight of which was the 2005 Memorial Cup win by the London Knights. Jim was one of the early supporters of the Special Olympics and valued the benefits that sport has on the life of every individual. His impact on us all has been indelible. Our sincerest thanks to Dr. Luc DuBois and the caring nurses at Victoria Hospital whose quick intervention and expertise granted us an additional two years with Jim after his abdominal aortic aneurysm in 2014. We are so grateful and thankful as well for the compassionate care he received from medical staff at University Hospital in his final hours. A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London (519-641-1793), on Saturday, June 11th, 2016. Visitation will take place from 1:00-3:00 p.m. and the service will commence thereafter. Memorial donations to KidSport Canada (www.kidsportcanada.ca) or London Health Sciences Foundation (www.lhsf.ca) would be greatly appreciated. Portrait and memorial online at www.westviewfuneralchapel.com
