There are lives determined by early circumstances, and there are lives shaped by early circumstances and resolve. Jim's was the latter. Born in Guelph to a mother who was unable to care for him, Jim was placed in foster care as an infant. He moved to an orphanage at age 12 before being sent to work on a farm near Belwood, where he stayed for five years. At 17, a serious winter sledding accident left him with multiple fractures in one leg and unable to earn his keep, he had to leave the farm. Rather than a setback, it was a turning point: a teacher took him in for his final year of high school and became the first of several mentors whose belief in Jim, paired with his own tenacity and decision-making, moved him forward. It was a pattern that would repeat throughout Jim's life: one hard, good decision after another, each moving him further from where he started and closer to the life, and the family, he would go on to build for himself.

After a year working at the uranium mines in Elliot Lake and completing Grade 13 in Sault Ste. Marie, Jim earned a place at the Royal Military College of Canada, graduating in 1962. Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, he was posted to Victoria, BC, where he met Heather. A couple of months after meeting her, with his posting to Germany suddenly delayed, he phoned and proposed. They married three weeks later and spent three years overseas, where their first child was born.

Once back in Canada, Jim retired from the Canadian Forces as a Captain, earned his degree at the University of Waterloo, watched his family grow to three children, and began a career as an educator. He was a teacher, coach, and mentor at Forest Heights Collegiate before his 11-year tenure as principal of Elmira District Secondary School. For years, Jim's children have been approached by former students who share the ways in which he shaped their life.

Jim brought that same spirit to summers at Camp Tawingo. Over the course of a decade, it was a family affair: Jim taught outdoor skills and led canoe trips, Heather worked as a nurse in the health center, and the kids lived the camper life alongside them.

In retirement, Jim was an avid bridge player and volunteered with Golf Ontario as a rules official and Board member, becoming an Honorary Director and receiving the Syl Apps Volunteer Achievement Award.

Heather was his constant companion for fifty years, until her passing in 2014. Her absence was something he carried, quietly, for the twelve years that followed.

Jim leaves behind his children, Deb Duimering (Richard), Brock (Jill), and Scott (Nonie Lesaux); grandchildren Connor, Emily Glaze (Cameron), and Jacob (Kennon Moon); Hannah Duimering (Cooper Page) and John Duimering; Morgan and Charlie; and great-granddaughters Sophia Heather and Violet Louise Glaze.

Jim also leaves his cousin, Darlene Furlong, and his sister, Marie Bouwknegt. Following a relatively recent search of his birth records, Jim was introduced to Darlene, who helped him meet Marie. Jim and Marie felt an instant connection and have enjoyed a wonderful 5-year friendship.

The family will hold private remembrances. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Family and Children's Services of the Waterloo Region. Donations may be made at the funeral home or online directly through the charity's website. Please call the funeral home 519-749-8467 to inform the family of your online donation.

Jim's grandchildren will forever remember their Papa's (lengthy!) stories, unsolicited advice, bad jokes, and life lessons. So that the next generations of Furlongs can carry forward Jim's remarkable journey - one of turning adversity into purpose and connection - please share a remembrance of him on his online memorial page.

Visit www.henrywalser.com for Jim's memorial.

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