McGinty, James "Jim"

JAMES McGINTY, beloved husband of Catherine McGinty of Lethbridge, passed away at Chinook Regional Hospital on Sunday, May 24, 2020 at the age of 92 years.

Besides his loving wife, Jim is survived by his niece, Katrina Whittingham of Scotland, as well as numerous other nieces and nephews in Canada, Australia, Spain, England and Scotland.

He was predeceased by his parents, John & Catherine McGinty, and his siblings, John, Edward and May.

James—known to most as 'Jim,' but also as 'Jimmy' to his Scottish family—was born in Glasgow in 1928. His parents married in Belfast, Ireland in 1919 and—like many—had moved to Glasgow in search of a better life. However, times were tough for them, and at the age of only six years old, Jim's mother died of consumption. His father and grandmother cared for him until World War II broke out, but war would claim his father, and his grandmother also died during those troubled times. His childhood was not easy, but despite the challenge of war, he very much enjoyed being an evacuee at age 12, in the green countryside of rural Perthshire to escape the bombings of his home city. At the end of the war, his aunt Maggie assumed care of him and his older brother, at a short distance. Jim still lived in his family home with his siblings.

After leaving school at age 15, he obtained an apprenticeship at a butcher's shop in Glasgow. During that time, post-war conscription drafted him into army services, and he became a chef. He served time in Scotland, England, and across central Europe. He spoke fondly of those times. Upon return to Glasgow, he had grown from a boy into a man. He resumed his apprenticeship as a butcher to complete it and gain permanent employment. In his early 20s, he began to attend church dances in his parish of St. Mungo's in the east end of Glasgow. It was there in 1952 that he met a fellow parishioner and young beauty, Catherine Tracey. She had also recently left school, age 17, and was working as a typist while studying administration during night classes. The two often met walking to and from work, but mainly courted at parish dances.

Their courtship was cemented in marriage on February 15, 1954. They had a simple service with no celebratory wedding, breakfast, or party; they were just blissfully happy to be married. They had to save after their wedding to afford a honeymoon—a week in Aberdeen the summer of that same year. They began their married life in the small family flat Jim had shared with his family. Both their extended families lived close by. Jim & Cathie progressed at their jobs in Glasgow while still enjoying family time and their social lives with friends.

However, like his father before him, Jim believed there could be more to life than what they had in Glasgow, so in 1964, they made the brave move to immigrate to Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Jim had been told that, as a qualified butcher, he would find work easily in Canada. It ended up being quite the opposite, but five months later, he was able to obtain employment in his craft with Safeway. Cathie, on the other hand, found secretarial work at St. Michael's within a week. They initially rented a house (1810 - 14 Ave. S), but it became their permanent residence a year later after deciding to purchase it.

Jim loved Canada; he embraced learning how to square dance, and also took up golfing and 10-pin bowling. Back in Glasgow, golf was reserved as a sport for the rich, no one had heard of square dancing, and 10-pin bowling was only ever seen on TV. Although a quiet man, Jim was very sociable and quickly formed friendships. Hockey was ultimately embraced as his favourite spectator sport. Family from Scotland visited regularly from the 1960s until very recently. He often made trips back to 'the homeland'—as he liked to call it—but never regretted settling in Canada. Church and the practice of his faith remained central in his life, becoming a Knight of St. Columbus and taking part in a variety of volunteering roles at St. Pat's and the Assumption Church.

He enjoyed travel throughout Canada and the United States, holidaying in Hawaii as a particular favourite destination. He enjoyed touring in an RV and towing a caravan on long extended holidays in the 1970s and early-1980s. From his impoverished beginning in the eastside of Glasgow, no one could have predicted this would be his life in his 50s and 60s.

Unfortunately, Jim developed a variety of health concerns in his 50s. He required surgery for cancer on more than one occasion, and also suffered an extensive heart attack that called for major open-heart surgery in Edmonton. He recovered, but the long-term consequences of his heart disease led to his early retirement in the mid-1980s. Thereafter he began to extend his church volunteering ministries (which became almost a full-time job!) that varied from St. Michael's and other health care facilities to training altar servers and taking communion to the sick—just to name a few.

He continued to enjoy holidays back to his homeland as well as church-organized trips across the world. He loved all sports and was an avid supporter of the Calgary Flames. When following national sports teams, he would divide his loyalty between Scotland and Canada.

Up until last year, he continued to enjoy living with his ever-loving wife, Cathie, in their family home. He carried on each day with a sense of purpose in his church-related duties. Cathie endured ill health over the last ten years or so; in recent years, he became her dutiful caregiver. Last year, a further health setback meant Cathie required more around-the-clock care than homecare or Jim could provide, so Cathie moved into Edith Cavell Care Centre and Jim into Martha's House. Jim enjoyed the social aspects of life at Martha House, meeting up with many people he knew from his longstanding church activities in Lethbridge. Up until the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, he visited Cathie three times a day, every day of the week. He continued to be a completely devoted husband right until the very end of his life.

As he grew older, it became apparent how many lives he had touched in Lethbridge. He was simply very well-known and loved by all who knew him. Very few realized that he was in his 90s as he preferred to keep that quiet. If he could help you, he would. He lived a full, interesting and diverse life. He was quiet, patient and kind, with a very quick wit. If you knew him, it is likely his presence in your life that warmed your heart and brought a smile to your face. Let that legacy of him live on in you.

A Private Prayer Service will be held at CORNERSTONE FUNERAL HOME, 2825 - 32 St. S, Lethbridge, AB on Monday, June 1, 2020 at 7:00 PM with Francis & Cybele Noronha officiating.

A Private Funeral Mass will be celebrated at OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH, 2405 - 12 Ave. S, Lethbridge, AB on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 10:00 AM with Father Kevin Tumback celebrating.

For those who wish to watch the services online, his Prayer Service and Funeral Mass may be viewed via livestream at their respective times under Jim's obituary on our website.