WATSON, James Keatley
Feb 26, 1921 - Jan 26, 2019
A long, eventful life came to a peaceful close on January 26, 2019 when Dad, known as 'Jake' to wartime and Legion pals, and as 'Jim' to all others, died exactly one month shy of his 98th birthday. Predeceased by wife Jocelyn (Lynn) and son Douglas (Dougie), he is survived by son Ken (Pat), and daughter Mary, as well as many other family and friends.
Raised in Maniwaki, Dad attended high school in Belleville before joining the RCAF in 1940. Trained as a bomber pilot, Dad went overseas in 1941 and was attached to 35 Squadron, flying Halifax four-engine bombers. Shot down in 1942 (thus joining the famed Caterpillar Club), he spent the remainder of the war as a POW in Germany.
Postwar, Dad obtained a chemical engineering degree from Queen's University and joined the research division of Canadian International Paper in Hawkesbury. In 1953, he and Lynn married and began raising a family, later moving to Pointe Claire. Free time was spent 'up at Camp' with family and friends at Lac de la Sucrerie, where Dad, nutbrown from the sun, chopped wood on the hottest days so we'd be toasty on the coldest days, picked wild raspberries with Ken and Mary for Mum's famous raspberry pies, made the 'best pancakes on the lake' on the woodstove, held weinie roasts over a beach campfire, and as Mum said, "worked hard and rested hard."
Retiring in 1983 allowed Dad to fulfil a lifelong dream to travel the world. He also began attending ex-POW, and RCAF reunions. These took him across Canada, and overseas to Britain, Australia and New Zealand. In 2012, age 91, Dad took his last overseas trip with Canada's delegation to London for the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial. He was a proud veteran.
Dad continued to live a healthy, independent life into his mid-nineties - even mowing his own lawn - until just over two years ago, when home became the hospital in Ste. Anne de Bellevue. We are profoundly grateful for the exceptional care he received from the dedicated staff on 2A, the veterans' ward, where he will be fondly remembered for his love of chocolate milk, his stubbornness (!), his good nature, and his unfailing sense of humour, the last all hallmarks of his character.
We will miss him dearly, but we have a lifetime of stories and memories.
At Dad's request, there will be no service. Donations in his memory may be made, if wished, to the Red Cross; he always said he wouldn't have survived his three years as a POW without them.