Jim Johnstone

Obituary

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Jim Johnstone, on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Jim and Kathy complemented each other and made an exceptional team, bringing all their love to their children and grandchildren. Jim was the foundation on which he and Kathy, his wife of 48 years, built their family. He devoted his whole being to his family. Together, they raised their five children, Carolyn, James, Andrea, Christine (Bean), and Michael, to care for and support one another with love and kindness.

Jim championed each of his children and encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams. As a teacher and coach, his ability to motivate others and bring out the best in them extended beyond his family.

Jim attended Applewood Heights Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario, where he played football alongside his lifelong best friend, Paul Coleman. He earned his B.A. at the University of Guelph and his M.B.A. at York University in Toronto. After working for a few years in finance at American Motors, he found his true calling and went to the University of Western Ontario to earn his Bachelor of Education.  Jim touched the lives of many students and colleagues as a high school teacher at Waterloo Collegiate Institute.

Teaching gave Jim summers to spend with his family in his beloved Southampton, Ontario, where he spent every summer as a child. Southampton became the family’s gathering place, and everyone still returns there each summer and for holidays. The relationships among the siblings, their spouses, and the ten grandchildren are fostered and nourished in Southampton. The bonds of love created in this environment are indelible. This was deliberate, and Jim was the master of the plan.

Jim was “Daddio” to his five children. His children were his life. And he meant the world to his children. Jim embraced and welcomed his children’s spouses, Brianne Lee (James), Derek Damon (Andrea), Omar Shamji (Bean), and Colleen Dunn (Michael), and became “Daddio” to them all.

Jim was “Pops” to his ten grandchildren: Elizabeth, Keith, Annabelle, Chase, Charlotte, Sophie, Carter, Emma, James “JJ”, and Nora. Pops formed a strong bond with each of his grandchildren. He had special routines and activities tailored to each of them that made each feel loved. He could often be found playing with kids at the swings, pushing a baby in a stroller around town, or watching his family play tennis.

Many friends came to know Jim through hockey, as a player, coach, and referee. He coached and ran hockey clinics in Guelph, then Florida, and later in Southampton and Waterloo. His Florida clinic ran for more than 20 years and gave him the opportunity to work alongside his sons. Even in his final days, you could find him refereeing or on the ice teaching his grandchildren to skate.

Jim was predeceased by his father, John Brown Johnstone (1994); his mother, Elizabeth Cosford Johnstone (1994); and his sister, Susan Johnstone (2019). He was the much-loved nephew of the late Doris Cosford (1982) and Helen Cosford (1990).

A memorial reception will be held on Monday, September 28, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall, 248 High Street, Southampton, Ontario.

If desired, memorial donations may be made to Make a Wish Canada, the Saugeen Rail Trail Association (Living Memorial to include dedicated tree and inscribed marker), or to the St. Joseph Catholic Church. Donations will be received on Monday at the gathering.