JAMES NELSON RAW

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JAMES (JIM) NELSON RAW May 1, 1936 - March 9, 2016 It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Jim Raw at the age of 79 years. Jim is survived by Adeline, his beloved wife of more than 54 years; his loving children Randy, Jenny, Heather (Al), and Alison; grandchildren Dominic (Brett), April (Mike) and Kathryn; foster grandchildren Edgar and Ronny; great-grandchildren Bentley, Treyton, Adeline, Emilia and Archer, and his favourite little buddy Swisha. Also mourning his passing are his brother Lawrence (Violet); sisters Jeanetta, Lenore and Sharon (Mike); brother-in-law Bernie (Barb), and sister-in-law Hilda as well as numerous loving nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his mother Mary and father Matthew; sisters Yvonne, Wilma and Glenda as well as many sisters and brothers-in-law. Born and raised in Dominion City, MB where he still has a number of friends, Dad enjoyed the country life - fishing and spending most of his time outdoors. He moved to Winnipeg and met Mom at a dance in 1959. They became avid dance partners at the Rainbow Dance Gardens and Patterson's Barn Dance every week. After marrying in 1961 they joined a curling club, beginning a lifelong love of the sport. In the summertime, he enjoyed playing baseball. When the children came along, Dad got involved with community sports, coached little league baseball and served as president of Red River Community Club. Due to a back injury, he reluctantly gave up playing baseball and curling and traded in his glove and broom for a pool cue. Dad happily spent many hours at the local pool hall giving pointers and advice to other pool players. He played on a variety of teams and gained many pool buddies. In 1999 his team won the Canadian Pool League Team Championship Event earning them a trip to Las Vegas to play in the APA National Team Championship Event where they placed 33rd out of 500. Dad continued to play in the league until the fall of 2015. In addition to sports, Dad loved playing bingo. Boy, did he love bingo! Community halls, church halls, Kinsmen TV bingo - he played them all. Win or lose, he really enjoyed the game. Dad worked many different jobs over the years. He spent 23 years working for Red River Co-Op, starting as a clerk and working his way up to Produce Manager. He also spent quite a few years in the receiving area at the Birchwood Inn. He then transitioned to working in the security field at various sites, spending many years at the Misericordia Hospital and at Manitoba Hydro. Retiring at age 65, Dad was able to spend many happy years at home with Mom, relaxing and making their own schedule. We could always count on their daily trip to Walmart for coffee and for Dad to make the rounds, talking to his favourite associates. He will fondly be remembered for his famous line, "Are you working hard or hardly working?" A lot of Dad's spare time was spent reading anything he could get his hands on, especially Louis L'Amour westerns. He also enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, gardening and puttering in the yard, going for long drives with Mom, making sure the squirrels and bunnies were fed, tending to his goldfish, playing Free Cell on the computer and whistling the whole time. You could always find Dad with a cookie in his hand and a dog treat in his pocket. His weakness for cookies was only surpassed by his affection for dogs. He had a sweet tooth that wouldn't quit so he was always sneaking snacks for himself and a handful of treats for one of our four-legged family members. Instead of a service, a Celebration of Dad's Life will be held Sunday, May 1, 2016. Please contact jnrcelebrationoflife@outlook.com for more details. The family would like to thank the caring staff in the ER and ICU at Seven Oaks General Hospital. Though he was only there briefly, they answered our many questions and assured Dad's comfort. For anyone so inclined, flowers are respectfully declined. In lieu, Dad would appreciate any donations be made to the Manitoba Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadian Diabetes Association, the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter or a charity of your choice. To leave an online condolence please visit Wojcik's Funeral Chapels & Crematoriums website: www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com "We will miss your warm hugs, your quick wit and your whisker rubs. Forever in our thoughts and forever in our hearts. We love you."

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 19, 2016