February 27, 1939 – July 28, 2026
Jim passed away peacefully with his children by his side, on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the age of 87 in Georgetown, Ontario. He is survived by his three children: Carolyn Brett (David Pickering) of Etobicoke, Liz Carson (Peter) of Georgetown and James Brett of Toronto and Grandchildren: Kate (Nick), Brett and Heather. He is also survived by his Aunt Sophie Barnett (in her 100th year), cousins Jim (Virginia) and Ted Barnett, his nephews David and Daniel (Soogin) Shearer and niece Catherine Shearer (Stewart) and many Great nieces and nephews. Jim is predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Judith (Judy) Sharon Brett (née Jacobsen), his parents Patrick and Dorothy Brett (nee Barnett), and sister Patsy Goulet (Brett-Shearer).
Jim was born in West Kildonan (Winnipeg), Manitoba. In 1957, Dad joined the Canadian National Railways “Telegraph Gang” installing lines across northern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. His stories and photos of living in bunk cars were always entertaining. In 1959, Jim returned home to attend Red River College and became a tinsmith. He apprenticed making ductwork, furnace pipes and eavestroughs earning 25¢ an hour!
After marrying Judy Jacobsen on August 19, 1961, their first child was born on July 29th, 1962. A downpayment for a house was now Jim’s goal. Characteristic of his determined nature, he worked on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line on Baffin Island from October 1963 to April 1964. His stories from the DEW Line in the Arctic included betting on when one might see the sun again and having to tie ropes around his waist to survive walks between huts through blizzard conditions. Jim and Judy bought their first house in St. James-Assiniboia. He began working for Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg as a Sheet Metal Mechanic. In 1965, Jim (and a few other workers) walked over to Air Canada on their lunch hour and there he found the job he would keep until his retirement in 1995. With a secure union job, the family moved to Elie, Manitoba (1970) and then to Lachine, Quebec (1972). In 1979, Jim was transferred to Malton, Ontario and the family moved to Georgetown, Ontario. Jim had the notoriety of having the heaviest tool chest ever shipped for an employee. He was a Union Steward and received a Gold Veteran’s Badge from the Grand Lodge of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers for his years of loyalty and service.
Upon his retirement in 1995, Jim and Judy moved to a beautiful Victorian home in Walkerton, Ontario where together they restored and furnished what became the home where the family gathered for many holidays and celebrations. Judy developed dementia and Jim cared for Judy at home until she was placed in Brucelea Haven. Jim moved to a smaller bungalow right next door to his beloved Victorian house. Two years ago he returned to Georgetown’s Edgewater Senior Living. His daughter, Liz, resides in Georgetown and James and Carolyn are grateful for her daily visits to Dad.
Jim’s love of nature was always evident; from walks on the Prairies, building his own cedar strip canoe to paddle local waterways, and cycling and walking along the Saugeen river. Jim always maintained beautiful gardens and participated in the Georgetown Horticultural Society, the Walkerton Horticultural Society and local garden tours. He was an avid bird watcher, and had numerous year round feeders to attract as many species as possible wherever he lived. He shared his knowledge as a 4-H Leader in Elie, Manitoba and a Boy Scout Leader in Lachine, Quebec.
Jim’s hobbies included love of tropical fish and resulted in more than a dozen aquariums set up in the basement of his parent’s home that were so prolific that he sold his young fish to Eaton’s in downtown Winnipeg. He maintained large tanks until his early 80s. Photography found Jim learning to process his own film and drying the strips from the dining room chandelier. He was always sharing pictures of birds and flowers in his gardens. Although Jim came from a family of bowlers, everyone else won the trophies, including his wife, Judy, whom he introduced to bowling.
His creativity was also quite apparent as he made many models in his adolescence, advancing to building large scale planes and ships from blueprints in adulthood. Jim painted landscapes of Manitoba in both oil and watercolour. He also enjoyed model trains, both O scale and HO scale. The latter became very large, full room layouts with model towns and landscapes that he created in both Georgetown and Walkerton.
Jim was an avid stamp collector and was a member of the Winnipeg Philitalic Society, the Bramalea Stamp Club and the Saugeen Stamp Club. Between these three clubs, he has held every club position possible, organized stamp shows, and entered competitive exhibits winning many medals, ribbons and certificates over the last 65 years. While with the Winnipeg Philitalic Society and the Saugeen Stamp Club, Jim helped to organize two Royal Philatelic Society of Canada Conferences: MANIPEX (1970) in Winnipeg and The Royal 2003 in Hanover, Ontario.
Most of all, Dad loved the time he shared with Judy, his family and especially his grandchildren in Walkerton. Having moved many times, his happiest memories are of the 29 years he lived in Walkerton and is why Jim and Judy have chosen to be interned at the Walkerton Cemetery.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Edgewater Senior Living and the Georgetown Hospital for all their support and care.
Cremation has taken place and no service will be held.
