Obituary of James William Wright

Dad passed into the presence of the Lord on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the age of 101. Jim was born at home in a homestead along Moose Jaw Creek.  He attended Adelaide School at Pitman travelling by horse winter and summer.  He completed high school by correspondence.  Jim joined the Air Force during World War II training at McGill University as a radar technician and serving in Scotland and North Africa.  He has good memories of his war years and especially of a trip to Palestine while on leave from his unit.  He visited ancient biblical ruins, an Israeli kibbutz or farm, and swam in the Dead Sea.  His troop ship was the Queen Mary ocean liner.  Jim married Mildred Pearl Patterson in October 1950 and raised a son and daughter on their farm at Pitman.  He also raised a granddaughter.  Mildred and Jim moved to Rouleau in 1983, and after Mildred passed away in 2006 and son Gordon James in 2013, Jim lived there with his granddaughter and great granddaughter until November 2017.  The farm at Pitman was not sold until 2012.  Jim was a far-sighted man.  He used reading glasses, but his distance vision was almost 100% right up until his death.  He had a valid driver’s license right up until his fall on the back deck in November 2017, and his neighbor Dean was looking forward to taking a picture of Jim in Gordon’s truck at the age of 100 holding his own driver’s license.  You could be driving down the gravel road with Dad and he would say, “You better pull over a bit, there is someone coming.”, but you don’t see anyone.  Sure enough, a puff of dust would appear and there was indeed someone coming.  This far-sightedness extended into all areas of Dad’s life; his work with Palliser Wheat Growers, his farming, his investing.  He maybe wasn’t good at seeing (or hearing!) and accepting what was right in front of him, but he had a gift for enduring and dealing with the “long haul”.  Always hoping for the best, very optimistic, always wanting you to do better.  He also believed in hard work as a cure for all that ails you.  He painted many bird feeders, bird houses, one ladybug house, and a small wooden airplane while on the Veteran’s Ward at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre.  Jim became a Christian in his late teen years and that strong faith in a loving God and in Jesus as Lord and Savior influenced how he lived his life.  He wanted to leave a legacy as he approached his 99th birthday and did generously leave money for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and his grandchildren too.  His true legacy was his “can do” and “get er done” attitude.  Thank you Dad.    A Graveside Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in Rouleau Cemetery, Rouleau, SK  followed by a Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m. at Rouleau United Church, 901 Scott Avenue, Rouleau, SK.