Sunday, September 20, 2020
I never met a Currie from HInchey Ave, New Waterford, I didn’t like. A great family all round, and Jim, like his sister, Connie, was a credit to their finer nature. Kind, caring and fun-loving, he was also, by times, a person of strong opinions. Jim’s were largely driven by a desire to see greater fairness for the little guy, in a world increasingly exploited and dominated by the one per cent - a view widely held in the Currie household and for good reason, being situated in a mining town with two monuments: one to victims of a 1917 mine explosion and another to William Davis, the famous labour leader killed by coal company police during the1925 strike. Jim's career choice spoke well for him too. Most of his hearing aid customers were elderly people and meeting their needs often required extra patience and going the extra mile. It was a business, but one that suited his personality and made a big difference in the lives of the people he served. Happily his daughter, Maria, a heart surgeon, inherited his urge to help others. His admiration for her and for his wife, Marcia, another New Waterford gem, knew no bounds. Having known him since his college days at Saint Mary’s, I was never so impressed by the depth of his character as during his struggle with the illness that killed him this month. He was a model of perseverance, pluck and human vulnerability in daunting circumstances. For his immediate family and for his brother, Lawrence, and Jim’s two surviving sisters, I know Jim’s death is a bitter blow, so I hope his gentle spirit provides comforting, congenial company in the days ahead.
Betsy Chambers
CREMATION~CHAPEL~RECEPTION
