It is with great sadness that we announce that Jim Sandy passed away peacefully, with family at his side, at the South Health Campus in Calgary on September 1, 2024. He had just turned 83.
Jim was born August 17, 1941 in Edmonton and was the chosen son of Leonard and Evelyn Sandy. He grew up on the family’s small ranch on Timber Ridge, west of Nanton. He spent many days on horseback, riding to Sunset School, and, hunting and fishing with his dad and Uncle Cleo. When he was seven, sister Edith was born.
Jim started his working career in the oilpatch, then changed course and for the next 50 years he was a long-haul trucker. He was the consummate truck driver and could get anything handled. He especially liked hauling cattle and stringing pipe in the bush in northern BC.
In 1961 he married his former wife Marilyn and they had three children – Brenda, Darcy and Brian. The family lived in Nanton and Calgary. He later moved to High River and married the late Mert Ryan. In 1980 he ventured north to Dawson Creek BC, where he married Kathy Potter. In 1988 they moved to Stavely, and in 1992 purchased their acreage southwest of Claresholm where they have resided ever since.
For most of his life Jim owned horses. He team roped in many rodeo and roping associations and made friends from all over BC and Alberta. He and Kathy also enjoyed riding and camping in the Porcupine Hills and Kananaskis Country. When he retired from trucking, he spent 10 years looking after Burke Creek Ranch yearlings at the Clifford Place west of Claresholm. He and Kathy attended the CFR in Edmonton for 39 years and made 2 trips to the NFR in Las Vegas.
Jim is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy, his sister Edith (Blake) Gordon, his children Brenda Downham (Greg), Darcy (Tina) and Brian (Wanda), and grandchildren Santanna, Odessa, Meghann, Jed, Kelsey, Denton and Jordyn and their families, along with many close friends. In 2005 Jim found and met his birth family and is survived by his half sisters Dorothy (Gary dec’d) Yurkowski, Shirley Power (Ron dec’d) and Beverly (Gerald) Wells and their families. He was predeceased by his parents Leonard and Evelyn Sandy, birth father Hubert (Marion) Boreen, birth mother Margaret MacDonald, half sister Shirley (John) Skrepnek and half brother Kenneth.
The family would like to thank the amazing staff of the South Health Campus ICU who, at every position, cared for Jim (and us) with the utmost skill and compassion.
A Celebration of Jim’s life will be held at the Claresholm Community Centre, 690 59 Ave. West, on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 11:30 am, followed by lunch. Please feel free to wear jeans!
Memorial donations, if desired, may be made to the Canadian Rodeo Historical Association, Box 18069 Shawnessy RPO, Calgary AB T2P 0K3; Claresholm & District Health Foundation, PO Box 2638, Claresholm AB T0L 0T0; or a charity of your choice.