Obituary of James McAllister

McALLISTER, James "Jim" Edward September 6, 1935 - August 31, 2021 James “Jim” McAllister, died August 31, 2021 with his loving family by his side, a week short of his 86th birthday. Beloved husband to his cherished wife, Claire. Loving and cherished father to Brian, Sarah, and his “favourite” son-in-law David Puglia, even if they spent a lifetime roasting him. Jim will be fondly remembered by Claire's many siblings and spouses, his last surviving brother Bob (Gail), and sister-in-law Emily, having been predeceased by brothers Don, and Joe (Sue). He will be missed by dozens of nephews, nieces, and cousins. He was easy to befriend and leaves behind a wide array of friends, both local and around the world, who will remember him for his genial nature and quick wit. He also leaves behind a basement full of stuff he spent a lifetime accumulating, sure that he would one day find a use for but never did, in a house he never quite finished renovating. He will be well remembered by his colleagues and the many students he taught, coached, and counseled at Forster, Centennial, Kennedy and Herman. It was always a pleasure to hear the invariable warm and effusive words of appreciation from former students, when they learned of your connection to “Mr. McAllister”. Jim was known for his passionate beliefs, and spent a lifetime working to improve his community and the world around him. He was a founding member of the Essex County Field Naturalists, the Windsor branch of Amnesty International, and the Windsor Humanist Society; he was a board member for the Third World Resource Centre, and Teachers for Global Awareness, and was involved in countless other committees and groups working to make the world a better, fairer, and more humane place. He had many interests, and was well known as a birder, naturalist, environmentalist, world traveler, wine maker, cheese lover, canoeist (as long there was someone else in the boat to do the heavy paddling), tennis player, collector of quotes and jokes, afficionado of classical music, and baseball fan – even though he started life as a Tigers fan and ended it as a Blue Jays fan. Jim and family wish to thank the nurses and staff at HDGH and Heron Terrace for their attentive care. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Windsor Symphony, Médecins Sans Frontiêres, or the Essex County Field Naturalists would be appreciated. The family will be having a Celebration of Life gathering for family and friends, with details to come. Arrangements entrusted to SIMPLE CHOICE (Wyandotte), 519-254-2585. Online condolences and cherished memories may be shared with the family at www.simplechoicecremation.ca.