Obituary of James Harmon Andrew SUFFERN

February 24, 1930 – Edmonton, Alberta
July 5, 2020 – Calgary, Alberta

It is with heartfelt sadness that we announce James (Jim) Suffern passed away peacefully in Calgary surrounded by family on Sunday, July 5, 2020 at the age of 90 years.

As a young boy, “Jamie” was raised by his parents in Edmonton, AB, and Heinitzburg, SK, during the years of the Great Depression. His father, James, was a military veteran in both World War I and World War II. Jim had a passion for airplanes and was in the Air Cadets as a teenager. Following high school Jim tried his hand at the newspaper business with the Edmonton Bulletin and also attempted to become a fighter pilot in the RCAF during the Korean War. He did not become a pilot because of a collapsed lung he had suffered, after falling off a box car onto a train rail as a child. Ultimately, Jim enjoyed a very successful forty-six year sales career in the Western Canada oil patch. He spent thirty-four years 1952-1986 with National Supply Company Ltd., rarely missing a day’s work. Also ten years as a production equipment sales consultant before capping off his career with Command Drilling driving the parts truck. 

Big Jim’s approach to life and in business kept him in good stead as he retired with an unblemished reputation. He insisted on always putting others interests equal to or ahead of his own, always looking for a “win-win” for both sides in a business deal, and for living the “Golden Rule”, treating others the way he wished to be treated himself. 

Jim loved spending his spare time at his home in Acadia that he purchased in 1965. During Jim and Angie’s twenty-eight year marriage, they combined their skills of carpentry, home design and decoration, renovating each room in the house at least twice to create an incredible, comfortable safe haven for their children and grandchildren. Jim’s extraordinary parenting skills translated into equally effective grandfather skills. He lead by example and had a positive influence on grandson Joel, who he helped to raise, as well as grand-nephew Jory. His granddaughters, Cassidy and Kaila, always looked forward to visiting their gentle, unconditionally loving Grandpa Jim whenever they could. His birth grandson Brett Lynde was impressed by Jim’s many attributes as well, as was everyone lucky enough to have known him. Jim and his brother Floyd had an especially close relationship, with their six children all very close in age. The two families from the early 1960’s onward always got together at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, either at Floyd and Joan’s in Sherwood Park or in Calgary to celebrate together as one big family. 

When not coaching Kelly’s baseball team, he was mentoring his oldest son to help him pursue his passion in the carpentry world. Jim was a great dancer who really enjoyed “cutting the rug”, at first for decades with his wife Angie at The 400 Club and then later for many years with his special friend Elaine. 

During the summer months Jim enjoyed nothing more than to head out on the golf links, especially at Redwood Meadows, where he was an original member and played there for thirty-four years. One highlight of his golf career was when he decided to switch from a right handed golfer to his more natural lefty at eight-two years old which ended up knocking twenty-five strokes off of his scorecard. As a bonus Suff Sr. got a hole-in-one both as a righty and as a lefty!  Jim’s winter passions included hockey when he was young, but he was most at home on the curling rink where he enjoyed competing with his teammates for seven decades. 

Jim became a well-traveled man, with his son Kevin by his side. They started in 1992 with a “Suffern Family Heritage Tour” to North Battleford, SK to research his indigenous roots, as well as the arrival of Jim’s Irish grandfather Andrew Suffern to that region in 1866. Jim also enjoyed family trips to Disneyland, Hawaii, the East Coast of Canada, New York City, snowbird golf trips to Arizona as well as a trip through Europe culminating in a visit to his ancestor’s homeland in Antrim, Northern Ireland in 2005. 

During his long retirement, Jim remained very active including a long stint as MC and Treasurer of The Oilmens Oldtimers Luncheons, held on the third Monday of each month at the Kensington and Horton Road Legions. Jim’s friends and family have always admired him as the tall, well dressed and handsome gentleman. A pleasant, mild mannered man with the big gapped tooth smile, always comfortable in his own skin, never stressed out, with an amazing ability to make everyone around him feel comfortable and at ease. These fine attributes always remained and never failed James during the last three and a half years of his life suffering from memory loss, while he was supported by the incredibly loving and compassionate care of the wonderful staff at Agecare Seton. Our loss of a revered member of the too quickly shrinking “Greatest Generation” is heaven’s gain. 

Jim will be lovingly remembered by his daughter Karna Coolidge (her partner Jim Wilson), son Kevin (Christine), all of Calgary, and son Kelly (Liz) of Barrie, Ontario; and his grandchildren, Joel, Kaila and Cassidy. Jim is also survived by a sister Irene Madoche, nieces, Patricia (her son Jory) and Shannon; nephews, Randall and Richard (his children Oliver and Tabitha).

Jim was predeceased by his parents James and Jessie; sisters, Edith and Florence; brothers Len, Art and Floyd; sister-in-law Joan Suffern; and son-in-law Gus Coolidge.

Due to the current government restrictions surrounding Covid-19, a Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Our family will fulfill Jim’s wishes as a man of faith and will have his Memorial Service performed at McDougall United Church in his neighborhood of Acadia, where he has been a member since 1965.

Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on Jim’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to The Alzheimer Society of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, Administrative Office, 10531 Kingsway Avenue, Edmonton AB T5H 4K1.  Tel: (1-866) 950-5465, www.alzheimer.ab.ca, The Salvation Army, 1731 29th Street SW Calgary, AB, T3C 1M6, on line at www.salvationarmy.ca, or by phone 403-410-1112 or to the Prostate Cancer Canada, https://www.prostatecancer.ca all being special to our family.

In living memory of James Suffern, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Fish Creek, 14441 BANNISTER ROAD SE, CALGARY, AB T2X 3J3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.