Jim, as most knew him, passed away on Tuesday, May 05, 2026. He often called himself “just a small-town boy.” Born ninety years ago in Pembroke, Ontario-a modest farming town by the Ottawa River-Jim’s early life was shaped by his mother, Isobel Mayhew, a teacher who showed him how to connect with people of all ages through talking and especially listening. His dad Harry was a merchant who filled Jim’s head with stories from books and his own adventures laced with humor. A world map taped to Jim’s bedroom wall sparked his lifelong curiosity about history and places. Whenever he traveled the globe, you’d find his suitcase packed with books from museums and on writers or artists-anything that caught his eye. At home, his den overflowed with these treasures alongside another world map nailed to the wall. Books kept feeding his endless wonder about the world around him.
Dogs became a joyful part of our family life too. As time went on, those long dog walks shortened into easy strolls just down to the mailbox or sometimes only up to the corner where he’d usually stop for a friendly chat with neighbors.
He loved hosting monthly dinner parties with close friends-the Rapleys, Tenniers, and Gehrels-which were always lively nights full of great talks and good company.
Music mattered deeply to Jim-from singing in church choir as a kid to playing clarinet in high school band at Pembroke High School and joining campfire songs during childhood summers. Maybe it was those few classical records he could afford as a student that inspired him later on to sing tenor for twenty-five years in the local Symphony Orchestra choir or to learn more from Hugh, a dear friend who introduced him to many sides of classical music.
He skied locally but also hit slopes at Whistler, Sunshine Village and Mont Tremblant in Quebec’s Laurentian mountains. His travels took him far across Europe and Asia. Alongside his wife Sherley-Ann and their buddy Casey Gehrels they walked through Europe “Top-to-Bottom” starting from Holland at the North Sea all the way down to Southern France on the Mediterranean coast-a three-month journey covering 2,500 km. Jim often said that trip ranked among the best moments of his life.
Medicine was more than just work-it was truly what he dreamed about doing. At seventeen he left home for Kingston where after six years he graduated from medical school; then spent six more years training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal plus another year at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In Montreal he had mentors like Dr. Arnold Johnson and Dr. Maurice Mc Gregor who helped shape him into an excellent doctor.
In 1966 Jim came out west to Lakehead bringing pacemaker technology along with him.
He established Intensive Care Units and Resuscitation programs at Port Arthur hospitals making big contributions there throughout his career.
Arriving in Thunder Bay (then Port Arthur) when he was thirty years old until retiring at eighty gave Jim fifty years caring for patients whom he genuinely enjoyed seeing during office visits-often chatting about that worn-out world map hanging on his office wall. He liked saying he had “the most perfect job.”
Nicholas, Antony, Rebecca, and Domonic went before him along with his parents; sister Shirley; plus special cousins Richard Mc Cutcheon and John Mayhew.
He is survived by wife Sherley-Ann; children Sarah (Dan), Harry (Kate), Michael (Lillian), Daryl (Diane), Cindy-Lee (Noel); daughter-in-law Barb Kojder; grandchildren Jake, Zachary, Mathieu and Ciara; first cousins Mary (Ed Pec) and Bill (Jean Mc Cutcheon); devoted book-club pals Ray, Butch, Peter, Ron, Keith, John Casey, and Jerry-and anyone still able to catch that cheerful whistle of his.
A heartfelt thanks goes out to Drs Webster and Nigro for their care.
Thanks also go out to everyone keeping this wonderful man in their thoughts as they grieve.
A private family gathering will take place later on online condolences can be shared at www. sargentandson. com.
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