Jones wedding party with Jim 3rd from the right

My condolences to the Martin family on Jim's passing. Sad.  Like others have written, I too met Jim in our high school days in Burlington. It turned out he lived several doors away from my girlfriend, now wife, Jill Charlton. With a group of close friends we all went to the same church, were members of a rather large Baptist youth group, enjoyed many pick up football or baseball games Sunday afternoons at the park, and later on University took up hockey and proudly wore our Baptist Swim Team hockey sweaters (Jill and I still have ours hanging in our closet), had a summer job to earn our tuition at Gulf Refinery Canning & Grease Plant in Clarkson courtesy of Jill's father who was the head of HR there, and Jim later on was one of my groomsmen at my wedding. Several of us has some musical talent and many weekends were spent jamming together, mostly Beatles tunes. Jim treasured his beautiful guitar he had bought. Jim wrote a few songs that I still have the lyrics he typed up. Some were love songs like Say the Word and You Showed Me How. Others were silly like an Ode to Capt. Marvel. There was one that was quite poignant and still relevant today:

You Still Have Time Written by Jim Martin, age 19

If you would only take the time you waste away with hate

And use it not destructively, but only to create

You’d be amazed by how much you’ve accomplished in this time

And then the human race could get itself back into line

The selfishness of people now is really quite a shame

To get themselves an easy life is their only aim

They care not whether people on this earth begin to die

They don’t even care to know the reason why

       You drink in bars; buy fancy cars

      You fight in wars and bang up whores

     You cheat and steal; in drugs you deal

     You blow your mind, are you that blind?

     Can’t you see that that’s no way to live?

If you don’t turn your lives around, the lot of you are all hell bound

Do it now before it’s much too late

You still have time so don’t delay, you got to save your souls today

So you can live with God eternally

Although we lost touch after Jim moved out west, I often think back on our younger days with fondness of friendship we shared. One day we will meet again in heaven.

Gary (& Jill)

Lyn and Rick Mastroluisi Wedding — with Scott Main, Mark Grafham and Tom Bartlett

Tom and Kathy Bartlett's Wedding — with Jim Martin, Beth Bartlett and Doug Murray

Jim was a true gentleman. 

We met in 1986 in Israel at the Tel Dor dig and became fast friends while taking turns running wheelbarrows full of dirt up a hill to keep the debris away from the archeologists and their work at that ancient settlement by the sea. He did it, as he did all things, with humor and grace. 

Over the years we took a number of trips together and it always deepened the experience watching Jim’s delight in exploring new places and meeting new people. 

It was easy being in his company: he was kind and patient and generous. He had a whimsical sense of humor and it was a treat to hear his laugh. It was soft and genuine and musical.

He was such a fine and good man. I am so glad to have known him and will always treasure our friendship.

James with Max & Willow

Receiving TransCAER award with Darlene Nagy and Jim Kozey

James joined CP in 1987 as a Sr. Database Architect, he transitioned to Operations in 2004 as a Field Operations Manager, Coordination Manager, and Chief of Transportation Dispatch. James became an integral part of the Hazmat family in 2014, his endless wealth of knowledge, work ethic, kindness, and quick witted nature brought a wholeness to the team that will be profoundly missed.

We miss our daily conversations with James about his dogs Willow & Max, traveling, baseball, cars, politics, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The entire team extends our greatest sympathies to the Martin family.

I first met Jim at our church youth group in Burlington in the late 70’s, where I was introduced to Jim by our mutual friend Tom. Jim was older than me but he always accepted me and I loved him like a brother.

I remember Jim as a kind, thoughtful, gentle and intelligent soul as he shared his interests in archeology, history and music, he fashioned himself as the next "Indiana Jones".   His intellect was obvious to me, I always felt wiser after our conversations which extended into the early morning hours during our regular meetings at the Bartlett’s, my house or the Martin’s. Jim was part of an extended family that often gathered at the Bartlett’s, at a time that seemed timeless.

Jim was a great sport, I remember the persistence and stiff upper lip he demonstrated as he learned how to skate and play hockey, his participation made our pick-up games and events more enjoyable and he returned the favour to his Canadian friends as he shared his love of baseball and the Orioles.

Jim was the source of many fond memories for me of time at our family cottage. The last time I saw Jim was on a summer weekend when he was there to visit with his fiancé. We talked late into to the warm summer night.

One weekend many years earlier a number of us from our youth group went to the cottage for some fun and fellowship. We were supervised by my dad which was great, since dad didn’t interfere too much with our fun. As we were leaving for the weekend dad was grabbing some well needed rest for his coming busy week of surgery. I didn’t have my licence yet so I asked Jim to move dad’s car so to allow the first group to arrive home from the weekend at the scheduled time. We packed up and left. When we stopped at Weber’s on the way home, lining up for our orders my friend tapped me on the shoulder and I looked at him holding the keys to dad’s car. I will always remember the mischievous smile on Jimmy’s face as we thought about driving back and the extra couple hours we were adding to the scheduled arrival of our friends. Every parent felt that their son or daughter couldn’t possibly be the source of the delay. It seemed that when contacted Wendy knew better – “I bet that it was Jim”.

I loved Jim! He was a great friend for me during difficult times in my life, he was a patient, wise, and a gentle ear listening as I dealt with the death of my dad a few years later. I will always be grateful for the time I got with Jim, it is the relationships in the journey of life that make us who we are and I am a better person because of my relationship with Jim. It was many years ago but the memory of my dear friend is as vivid as if it were last week, I regret that we never created the opportunity to reconnect more as the years passed.

Wendy and Frank thank you for welcoming me into your home, and raising Jim to be the loyal friend and and kind person that I and many others knew him to be. He generously shared his time, which was also yours with his friends and extended family,  and for that my family is so grateful to you. My heartfelt prayers and condolences are with you, Steve and Theresa.

My faith holds the promise that someday when my time is done I shall look forward to seeing my old friend until then my friend God bless you.

Taking in the beauty surrounding us — with Jim Martin

A stop along the hiking trail to Rawson Lake — with Jim Martin

I’m so saddened by Jim’s passing. I’m reading these beautiful posts from Jim’s friends. Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories you have of him. His brother Steve and I traveled to Calgary, AB in 2009 to visit Jim. What a whirlwind of a week we had. Jim planned out a week of adventures, each day filled with a new site to see. The adventures took us all over the area from Banff, Waterton Lake, Columbia Icefield, Lake Louise and more. We hiked up to Rawson Lake where the views were spectacular and breathtaking. What an amazing week we all had together and one that I will always cherish. He was a wonderful cook. He made us a gourmet dinners and breakfasts. I saw him again in Calgary when I traveled there on business and when he would travel to Maryland to visit his family. Last summer my son and I met Jim and Steve in St. Michaels Maryland and spent a beautiful afternoon together strolling around the town and stopping for lunch. I will remember his beautiful smile. What a beautiful soul. He was a gentle, kind and caring person. He will always be in my thoughts and prayers. God Bless you Jim. My sincere condolences and prayers to his parents Frank and Wendy, his brother Steve and his sister Theresa.

I'm so sad to hear of the passing of my friend Jim Martin.   We met in the mid 70s at a church youth group.     It was a great group because of people like Jim.  Special memories include hearing Jim play music (especially the Beatles) and of our Sunday afternoon sporting events at the park near the church.    I regret that we lost touch after I moved away from Burlington in the early 80s but I will remember our days together in the youth group with great fondness.    May God grant Jim's family and loved ones peace and comfort.   Rest in peace my friend.   

Jim and I moved to Burlington, Ontario the same year and became fast friends upon meeting at school. I would regularly be invited to have lunch at the Martin's home - always pb&j sandwiches. They never tasted better. Early on, Jim called my house asking for me, but was rebuffed by my dad who, because of Jim's heavy Boston accent, could not understand who he was looking for. The exchange with my dad went like this:

"Hello, is Tam there?"

"No, there's no Pam here."

"No, is Taaam there?"

"No, there's no Pam here."

After several attempts, he gave up.

In time, I invited Jim to our youth group and he quickly became very popular. Our home became a regular meeting place for the young people to gather and friendships grew quickly. Our time was often spent playing D&D, Risk, and touch football Sunday afternoons in the field near the public library. Afterword, we would get a Slurpie at 7-11, inevitably consuming it too fast and experiencing "Slurpie-burn" or the more severe version of "Slurpie-head." We also started a ritual of a night football game the eve before Christmas eve, followed by a viewing of, "It's a Wonderful Life" on the VCR. This tradition - sans the football game - has continued with my family to this day.

Jim hinted that he was interested in attending regular services at church and was baptised a few years later. When I'd finished school, Jim and I moved into an apartment together across from McMaster University - the quality one would expect for starving students. After a grease fire on our floor, my mom wanted me to move out, so I bought a house and Jim moved with me.

Jim was very musically inclined and would regularly put on his favourite jazz musicians - primarily Wes Montgomery and George Benson. He was also a huge influence on my musical tastes - for better or worse - introducing me to the Jam, Howard Jones, the Smiths, the Psychedelic Furs, the Style Council, and Kate Bush, to name a few.

Jim was best man at my wedding in 1992 and, it was not long afterward that his his job at CP rail took him out west. He got to see my oldest child when he was a baby, gifting him with a rocking horse. This appeared to be a theme as he had bought my wife and I a rocking chair as a wedding gift.

I saw him once afterward where he visited with his fiancé at that time, but otherwise largely lost contact until I got to speak with him briefly about 1 1/2 weeks before his passing.

I have already been missing my friend for many years and the memories run very deep and are recalled with great fondness. I look forward to seeing him again on the other side of this mortal coil.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and I remember Wendy and Frank especially with great fondness. Thank you for sharing Jim with me. 

Tom's wedding — with Jim Martin, Tom Bartlett and douglas murray

Jim with Michael Bartlett — with Jim Martin and Michael Bartlett

Am extremely saddened by the passing of my good friend Jim Martin. He made high school fun as we'd spend many hours larking about, writing & recording songs, & trying to find girls. Jim was an exceptionally talented song writer and guitarist, (I'm convinced he could have had a great career in music if he wanted to). Jim had great taste in everything - you always learned something just chatting with him. I also found Jim to have natural, savvy business skills while working with him at his gas station & at his parents' chicken farm, (I'm convinced he could have had a great career as a business owner if he wanted to). Jim was the nicest, funniest, and most humble person you could ever meet, and I'm so honoured I got to know him. We'll miss him tremendously.