James Kenneth Arthur MacWha

JAMES  KENNETH   MacWHA

James (Jim) MacWha passed away suddenly at his home in Forester's Falls, Ontario on Sunday, March 20th. Jim was born on January 3rd, 1934 in Montreal, the eldest child of Kenneth Clifton MacWha and Margaret McMurray. He grew up in St. Lambert, spending his early summers working and playing amidst the farms and fields of Quebec's Eastern Townships, where some of his fondest memories lay. In January, 1952 he joined the Canadian Army and served for 13 years with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) at various postings in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Cyprus and West Germany, ending his military career as a Sergeant. During those years he started a family with his wife of 65 years, Barbara Ann Buck (1932-2020), whom he married on August 20th, 1955 in Lennoxville, Quebec. Together they had five sons Greg (Debbie) of Berwick, Nova Scotia, Andy (Elise) of Cherry Hill, Nova Scotia, Scott of Ottawa, Ontario, Phil (Lannie) of Clarence-Rockland, Ontario and Shawn (Ann) also of Ottawa. Together these families accounted for 13 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. After leaving the army in 1965 the still growing family moved to Lachute (and later Lakeview), Quebec where Jim spent several years working at the Canadian Industries Limited ammunition factory in nearby Brownsburg. In 1977 he left CIL and joined the RCMP as a civilian member in Ottawa. There he worked as a firearms and tool mark examiner and was involved in many fascinating cases before finally retiring in 1996. Jim and Barb then happily spent their final years in Foresters Falls, bowling, playing cards, camping, boating and exploring the back roads of the Ottawa Valley. Barbara died at the beginning of 2020 and Jim spent the last two years of his life alone at home. He said all along that he would never move into a retirement residence and that he wanted to be "carried out of the house" and in the end that's exactly how it happened. In that way Dad died as his lived, on his own terms. All of us were touched by how loyal Dad was to Mom in her final years and how he strived to give her as much freedom, and dignity, as possible as she was lost to dementia. Jim is survived by all of his children and grandchildren as well as his brother Gerry MacWha of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia and his sister Janet MacWha of Centreville, Nova Scotia. In lieu of flowers, please stay safe and love the people that you love. 

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