Obituaries

May 26, 1951- November 19, 2022It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of James “Jim” Jenner. He passed away at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at the age of 71.Jim was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Stanley and Alma (Borrowman) Jenner on May 26, 1951. He attended elementary and high school in Moose Jaw before moving to Edmonton where he attended NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) prior to entering the 5-year Chartered Accountant certification program. Jim was able to continue his studies and learning long distance as he acquired a job with an accounting firm and moved to Grande Prairie in August 1970. He earned his CA certificate in 1975 and became partner in 1977.Jim was a partner at the accounting firm from 1977 to 2016 and was integral in the firm’s switch from the international firm of Pannell Kerr Forster to Fletcher Mudryk & Co. in 1987. Jim was the strongest advocate of the firm remaining local as he was extremely proud of the roots that the firm was built on and the people at the firm. Even after his retirement, Jim continued to check in on the partners and staff progress and cheered them on over the last several years. Jim will be remembered for his sincerity, his strong work ethic and technical skills, his ability to connect with his clients, and his business acuity.In 1975 Jim and Valerie (Bills) were married in Grande Prairie. They attended high school together in Moose Jaw but moved to different cities after graduation. They did not reconnect again until a mutual friend reintroduced them. They chose Grande Prairie as their home and continued to build their life there. Married for 47 years, Jim and Valerie raised three children and became grandparents to four grandchildren.Jim supported several charities including CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) in honour of his grandmother who was blind most of her life. He supported the MS Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, in honour of friends he’d lost to MS, and the SPCA, to show his support in helping local animals in need of homes. Jim had several hobbies and interests, including his collection of comic books, his large aquarium of tropical fish, and he enjoyed poker, jigsaw puzzles, and board games – especially Scrabble. Jim had a great love of animals, especially dogs.However, Jim is best known for his love of model trains, classic cars, and fishing. For decades, Jim built a model train scene in his home creating an expansive view of tracks, engines, towns, farms, and even hand building the mountains and trees. It was truly an impressive sight to anyone who saw it. He loved classic cars, but his 1972 Stingray Corvette was Jim’s favourite car. Fully restored over several years, all his friends and neighbours knew of Jim’s beautiful car. Jim’s love of fishing was certainly a lifelong passion. He took many fishing trips on vacation with friends, taught his children to fish, and would almost always drop a line in during weekends at the cabin. Jim’s most loved place is the family cabin at Sturgeon Lake, AB. He bought the land a few years before building the cabin in 1987. Jim’s vision was always to have a place for the family and friends to gather, appreciate nature and have fun. One of Jim’s greatest joys was seeing his children and grandchildren grow up at the cabin.He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Valerie (Bills) and his children Lisa (Chris), Melanie, and Derek (Sarah), as well as his grandchildren Olivia, Kaydence, Haylee and Liam, all of Grande Prairie, and his nephew Greg Monteith and family, niece Jennifer Monteith, and many Jenner nieces and nephews.Jim is predeceased by his father Stanley Jenner, mother Alma (Borrowman) Jenner-Straub, stepfather Alvin Straub, sister Joyce Monteith, and half-siblings Gordon, Fred, and Ken Jenner, Helen Snider, and Shirley Lalonde.Jim will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him. He was a true storyteller, had a quick wit, and was always ready with a joke.A memorial for Jim is planned for Saturday, December 10th, 2022, at 1:00pm, followed by a reception and refreshments. It will be held at Bear Creek Funeral Home. Guests are invited to share their memories and stories of Jim during the service.Care entrusted to Bear Creek Funeral Home 78/0 830 7742 bearcreekfuneral.com