Obituary of James 'Jim' Wesley Waldie

It is with profound sadness that the family of James Wesley Waldie announces his passing on Thursday, June 11th, 2020, at the age of 80 years. Living his life to the fullest ‘his way’ is how we would describe Jim. He was born to Donna and Tom in St. Thomas on April 21st, 1940. By all accounts, he was a handful; although he gave his mother many grey hairs, he was able to channel his energy and drive into a lifetime of successful ventures. Jim started with a brief stint in the dry cleaning business, and after became involved in commercial trucking. He started with Waldie Transport in his early twenties and further developed his keen entrepreneurial spirit to build and expand a number of profitable trucking operations. After Jim sold Waldie Transport, he worked for Livingston Industries for a few years. In 1975, Jim acquired London White Trucks. He then expanded to Sarnia, Windsor, and Kitchener, and subsequently attained the Freightliner Franchise for all of Southwestern Ontario. Additionally, Jim established Elgin Leasing in St. Thomas, which provided heavy-duty trucks and trailers to companies in the region. In 1994, Jim sold his interest in Freightliner. The following year he started Elgin Motor Freight, which was to be his final venture in the trucking industry. In 2001 Jim sold his company to Challenger Motor Freight; it was time to embrace a well-deserved retirement. Throughout Jim’s life he wore numerous hats and was successful with many business ventures, including: a travel agency, a restaurant, and real estate. He made sure to live life to the fullest, and had many passions. Jim loved powerful cars and going fast; he had many speeding tickets to prove it. Boating was a favourite pastime and many happy memories were created on the high seas. Jim had an affinity for gadgets and always had the latest electronics to run his ship. He and Ingrid built a beautiful life on ‘the farm’ with all it entailed: the orchard, the dogs, the golf cart, and the fish pond. Sharing the farm and its amenities with friends and family was his pleasure. Jim went by many names: “Jimby”, “Jumbo”, “Pops”, and “Wally” were just a few. He was a real character and always had a crazy story to tell (most of them were true!). If you messed up, you were a ‘bonehead’ or something even less complimentary. Everyone was given a nickname, some more flattering than others. He loved his C. C. and water, and together with Ingrid, hosted some epic parties. The annual canoe races down Dingman Creek were life-altering and were talked about for years afterward. Jim was a generous person; it was really important to him to give back, especially to the medical organizations that were a part of his journey. He was a generous donor to the London Health Sciences Foundation, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation, and St. Joseph’s Hospice. The Salvation Army and the Humane Society were also beneficiaries of his goodwill. Jim will be deeply missed by his wife, Ingrid, and his daughters Jennifer (Dwayne) and Jacquie. He was much loved by his brother-in-law, Ronald (Diane) Belaen, nieces Tonya (Ryan), Amanda (Billy), and nephew Trevor. Too numerous to mention are the many special friends who impacted him greatly throughout his life, he loved you all. A private service will be conducted with the immediate family. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date when restrictions are eased. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at the Westmount Kidney Care Centre, the St. Elizabeth Palliative Care team, and the many doctors and nurses who have been involved in Jim’s care along the way. A special thank you goes out to Rose Leitch, a special friend who was Ingrid’s rock and Jim’s angel. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to The Salvation Army or The Kidney Foundation of Canada – London District.