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VOL. 78 PART 3 MAY 2020
children and Pat adopted two. While the merger was relatively seamless,
Jimmy, at age 13, was understandably somewhat traumatized. He quickly
adapted, however, as he came to appreciate an unexpected perk: his new
sister Carol, who was in the same grade, was willing to do much of his
homework over the next several years.
The McIntyres’ home was near the old Prince of Wales school. When the
new PW opened on Eddington Drive, at the site of the former Quilchena
Golf Course, Jimmy spent his high school years there and made a long list of
lifetime friends. He played junior and senior basketball and successfully
competed as one of the school’s better tennis players. A pre-existing skull
condition prevented him from playing rugby, but he was an unflagging supporter
of the highly competitive team and a close friend of many of its players.
After high school Jimmy acquired an arts degree from UBC and joined
UBC Law, graduating in 1975. His law school years were interrupted by a
one-year trip to Europe with his soon-to-be wife, Alex Saba. He articled with
Douglas, Symes & Brissendon, where he practised for several years before
departing with his old friend Maurice Lambert to join Forbes Neilson. When
that firm split up in the early ’80s, Jimmy remained in the Langley office
and practised under the name McCallum McIntyre until his death. Jimmy
commuted from his home in Kerrisdale to his Langley office for more than
30 years. He built a successful law practice and became a fixture in the Langley
community, well-liked by clients and staff. At a particularly challenging
time in his life, Jimmy received help from longtime friend Derek
LaCroix, Q.C., and the Lawyers Assistance Program; he would want to gratefully
acknowledge them. A testament to Jimmy’s likeable nature is that people
who worked with him tended to stay with him, including Kathy Moreau
(26 years) and Betty Skahl (23 years).
Jimmy might best be described as an old-world gentleman—gracious,
quiet and refined. He was an engaging, intelligent and enthusiastic conversationalist
and always enjoyed the company of family and friends. His summers
were spent in part on Savary Island, where he lived in the cottage built
by his grandfather in the 1920s. In later years he was accompanied by his
loyal four-legged companion, aptly named “Savary”.
Closest to his heart were the four lovely daughters born to Jimmy and the
late Alex Saba: Melinda, Dana, Jamie and Joanna. His devotion to them and
his grandchildren was unwavering. One daughter put it this way: “Although
our dad was an avid fan and encyclopedia for every sport known to
mankind, he was a bigger fan of us, his daughters and grandchildren. Any
soccer sideline, volleyball bleacher, poolside or school audience, no matter
how small the event, there he was, cheering us on and taking dozens of pho-