Obituary of James Charles Edward Hopkie

HOPKIE: It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our father, grandpa, uncle, mentor and friend, James "Jim" Hopkie, at the age 73. His last hours were spent doing what he truly loved, working outside clearing snow with the tractor at Sandy Lake on January 10th, 2014. James was born on August 20th, 1940 in Arcola, SK. James and the love of his life for over 45 years, his late wife Dorraine, raised three sons whom they both had a profound impact in shaping their lives. Left to cherish so many amazing memories are his son, Shane and his family Nancy, Jack, Kyle, Charlie and Joe of Calgary; his middle son, Darrin and his family Melissa, Chelsea and Cody of Halifax; and his youngest son, Bryce of Edmonton. James will be remembered in so many ways, from being the world's proudest grandpa, to an avid hunter and fishermen, as well as a tough negotiator when he was the President of International Union of Operating Engineers, local 901. He loved to read and had a burning passion to learn with a keen interest in Politics and the Environment. He would engage anyone in a healthy debate, but you would want to be well versed in the subject matter to be prepared. He spent countless hours working at Bryce's farm to ensure the place was always in immaculate condition, everything had a spot and place, no exception. He never did anything in his own words "half assed", if you were going to do anything you had to do it to the best of your ability. It did not matter what you were doing, his grandsons were first taught that lesson while learning to pull burdock and pick stones at the farm! He was adamant that you needed to accomplish something each and every day and working hard was the key to anyone's success. Teaching people and passing on life's experiences was a passion for him, and his family was so fortunate to listen and be part of the endless and usually colourful stories! He excelled at this and spent countless hours passing on his knowledge on everything from hunting and fishing, to operating heavy equipment. He spent many hours in the shop smoking sausage, fish, and assorted meats, always looking at new recipes to share with his many friends and family. The family wishes to thank the staff the Minnedosa Hospital and the Paramedics in the ambulance for making his last hours comfortable. A celebration of James' life will be held at the Brockie Donovan Chapel, 332-8th Street, Brandon on Friday, January 17th, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of James may be made to Heart & Stroke Foundation of Manitoba.