George Jamieson with a freezer full of turkey dinners (and cranberry sauce) for JBCP food hampers during the December 2023 holiday season.
The James Bay Community Project lost a dear friend and one of its staunchest supporters with the passing of George Jamieson on 20th March, 2025.
George volunteered at JBCP for 16 years. Many of the hours he gave were spent preparing food for participants. He was responsible for the turkey dinners provided to seniors and families at Christmas time for a number of years, combining culinary flourish with organizational skill. He also created an uncountable number of variations of soup for the weekly Seniors’ Connections Lunch, showing great flexibility in using whatever donated ingredients happened to be available each week. George was on JBCP’s Board of Directors for 6 years and served as Chair of the Board, when (as Executive Director at the time) it was my privilege and pleasure to work with him. George was also a donor to JBCP and until very recently he continued to serve on two JBCP Board committees.
George was a unique and magnificent blend of skills, abilities and keen perception. He was able to function (simultaneously) as both the Commander-in-Chief directing the battles (as he did when Chair of the Board) and the foot soldier slaving in the trenches with his comrades (as he did every week in the JBCP kitchen). He was brilliant at both and loved for both. His toughness and ability to speak his truth matched his compassion and ability to empathize with the hardships of others. JBCP was and is so much richer for having had George at its heart, and I learned so much from him.
George had a story, anecdote or interesting snippet of information for most occasions, and his breadth of knowledge and wisdom were born of experience and careful thought. He had the ability to combine realism with positivity. He saw where problems lay but didn’t waste time or effort on complaint or blame, rather he put them into doing what he could to make things better. A wonderful example of what JBCP seeks to do.
Words fail me as I try to do justice to everything that George was to the JBCP community. Which is ironic, because I never witnessed words failing George! His multifaceted legacy will live on at JBCP and in the hearts and minds of those of us who were lucky enough to know him.
Rest In Peace, dear George.
Kaye Kennish
JBCP Executive Director, 2012-2025 (retired in January)