In Celebration of

Jamison Jay Pannell "James"

January 17, 1961 - October 31, 2024

With great sorrow we announce the sudden passing of Jamison Jay Pannell, known fondly as James. Family and friends are comforted to know he died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, October 31, 2024.

James had a loyal, compassionate heart and was always kind and gracious to others. A man of deep integrity, James held honesty, responsibility and reliability as extremely important to him. He led by example, quietly honouring the values that defined his character.

The second of five children, he was a curious, immensely good-natured child with a heart-warming, infectious laugh. He was a keen mimic, creating hilarious “radio shows” with, for a child, surprising political acumen regarding the Viet Nam war.

As a young man, his developing tenacity served him well in his pursuit of making the Olympic marathon team. Though he wasn’t able to realize that dream and was forced to give up running due to injury, he accepted the disappointment with dignity and grace. His extraordinary capacity and determination to overcome obstacles in life inspired respect in all who knew him.

An avid coin collector, James’ knowledge of the field was vast and always current. His love of cataloguing and organizing his coin collection was second only to the original reason he became interested, which was to honour his father, who had gotten him started with his own enthusiastic collecting.

James lived with and was deeply devoted to his mother and younger brother. In keeping with his character, he worked hard to ensure their comfort. An exemplary and beloved son and brother, he is survived by his mother Vicki, his brother Dan and his sisters Katherine, Laura and Linda. A pure soul if ever there was one, James has left a hole in many hearts.

Friends may call at the Turner & Porter Neweduk Chapel, 1891 Dundas Street West. Mississauga on Friday November 15, 2024 from 3 - 8 PM.

Guestbook

(3 of 3)

John Miller (Childhood Friend)

Entered November 11, 2024 from Grimsby

What a beautifully written tribute to James! He will be sadly missed by me and my family. We have been friends since we were young boys and enjoyed our times at his cottage and our local Tim Hortons.

Sofia (Co-worker)

Entered November 15, 2024 from Mississauga

Working with James was fun! He always made me laugh and it was contagious. He was polite, kind and very helpful. I will miss him! We all will! 🙏🏽🥰 I'm deeply saddened and send my condolences to his family and loved ones. God bless him may he rest in peace.

Glenn Barrick (Childhood Friend & Neighbour)

Entered December 24, 2024 from Langley, BC

I am saddened to hear of Jamie’s passing….much too young. Jamie and his family were our neighbours; 4 doors down the street. Our families remained neighbours from 1969 until 2022, when our family home was sold.
I didn’t see much of Jamie after I went away to university, but whenever I came back home and saw Jamie walking down the street, he always had time to stop and chat. And boy, could Jamie walk….if injuries prevented Jamie from his Olympic marathon dreams, I think he could have made it as a speed walker.
Jamie had a kind & caring soul and always made sure to take care of his family. He will be missed by many.
Rest In Peace Jamie. 🙏

Life Stories

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Linda Pannell (Sister)

Entered November 14, 2024 from Guelph

Even as a baby, rhythm was a comfort to Jami. He'd rock and bounce joyously in his crib, singing "Alluah!" to the Hallelujah Chorus and, later, as a little boy, to Petula Clarke's "Don't Sleep in the Subway", all at the top of his lungs. He'd substitute "wanna" for all the lyrics he didn't know, which was most of them. By the time he was three, he'd also spend hours a day on his "teeter totter" in the backyard, swinging contentedly. Later that love of rhythm would find a home in the steady footfalls of his marathon running.

I'm afraid I may have led my adoring, innocent little sidekick into trouble any number of times in childhood. He was willing to assume any role my harebrained adventures required but especially loved the innocent task of being the rhythmically-stepping, ominously singing monster who chased my best friend and I into the dangerous depths of his lair (usually the leaf pile). Luckily for him our parents always seemed to know who the guilty instigator was and Jami grew up into a fine, principled man despite my mischief.

Though in hindsight my nutritional acumen left something to be desired as a little girl, I nevertheless took the responsibility of being his big sister very seriously. Mornings after our parents' weekend parties, as they slept in, I would take it upon myself to feed Jami with leftover snacks lying abound, "sandwiches" I constructed out of leftover cheesies and pretzels stuffed between two potato chips. Jami would look at me with worshipful eyes as his cheeks swirled.

He was a wonderful, loyal, inspiring person. I don't believe he ever hurt anyone in his life. I'm so grateful he was my brother and I'm sorry we didn't see more of each other in our adult years. Rest in peace, dear Hobum Monster.