Obituary of Lloyd James Blevins

BLEVINS, Lloyd James

1943 - 2023

It is with deep regret and great sadness that we announce the passing of our grandfather, father, loving husband and loyal friend, Lloyd James Blevins, at the age of 79 on Monday, June 26, 2023.

Born in Melfort, Saskatchewan on September 9, 1943, Lloyd made it clear early on that he would be a strong, independent thinker. Eschewing the name Lloyd was one of his first acts of defiance, so that for most of his life he was simply known as Jim or JB.

He was also known as a people’s person. He would talk to anyone within ear shot. His questions so clever, his banter so joyful, most people were happy to engage. Sports, politics, history, current events of the day. Everything was fair game. Jim filled the silence.

During Jim’s childhood in Star City, Saskatchewan, his father Harold spent long hours at his shop and his mother Ramona was equally busy with her restaurant. That meant Jim spent many hours at his Uncle Orville Hennings’ farm. There he learned to ride horses, herd cattle and drive tractors. He was like another son to Orville and his wife Olive.

In 1967, Jim married Gail Louise Knoll from Yorkton, SK. Kevin was born not long after, and his sister Kim three years later. Jim and Gail provided a loving and structured home for Kim and Kevin. School was a priority. Having good friends was paramount. Doing your best at everything was required. Accomplishments were celebrated. Defeats were accepted, as long as lessons were learned. Many family trips were planned and executed, some while school was in session. “You can learn just as much about the world, by exploring it, seeing it, touching it, as you can in a classroom”, Jim told more than one teacher.

Jim encouraged Kevin to date Kimberley Boychuk, who would become the love of Kevin’s life. He admired Tom Vanden Dungen’s courage and commitment to his daughter Kim when she struggled. He took great pride in his grandchildren, Stacey and Kalyna. He was incredibly grateful that he had the opportunity to help raise his grandson Stacey and enjoyed the special close bond that existed between them. He spoke with both grandkids daily, even as they advanced into their 20s and 30s. He worried about them incessantly. He wished the best for them and wanted them to be their best every day. They did not disappoint. Their wins far outnumbered their defeats. Just the way Grandpa Jim liked it.

Jim always worked, starting as a young teenager. Eventually he found his way to SaskPower where he remained for over 35 years. Most of that time he was the foreman for the heavy transmission crew, the team of men charged with maintaining and replacing transformers at Saskatchewan’s large power plants and sub stations.  Jim took great pride in his crew’s remarkable safety record, with very few injuries and no deaths on his 22-year watch as foreman. He also took pride in managing people. For Jim, it was always about the people and making the people around him better.

After SaskPower, Jim embarked on a 17-year career driving a Regina public school bus. He took his responsibilities seriously. He cherished the friendships he made with parents and their children.

In his later years, Jim worked as the on-stage security person at Country Thunder Saskatchewan. He loved country music and looked forward to the one weekend a year when he was immersed in the music world.

Sports were Jim’s true distractions. He loved horse racing, his beloved Regina Pats, U of R Rams, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Vanderbilt baseball Commodores, Nebraska football Cornhuskers, Chicago Bears and most of all, New York Yankees. Watching the Pats, Rams or Riders in person was easy. He was a longtime season ticket holder of all three. But seeing the Yankees, Commodores or Bears in person? Those were trips to be cherished for a lifetime.

In the 1970s, Jim moonlighted as a sports reporter for CKRM, working under the legendary Bob Hutton. His beat — junior hockey, and he became friends with many men who went on to NHL careers.

But watching sports wasn’t enough. Jim loved coaching and scouting youth baseball and hockey. For at least five years, Jim put thousands of extra miles on his SaskPower suburban truck, driving from cities and towns in southern Saskatchewan to coach his Kiwanis Little League Phillies in Regina, returning after the game to the motel near the job site.

For nearly 20 years, Jim scouted teenagers and young men for the Weyburn Red Wings of Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, providing them an opportunity to play hockey at one of the highest levels in his province.

For 25 years, Jim coached Tier 1 pee wee hockey in Regina. Many of his players went on to the junior leagues and a few made it to the NHL. He was proud of them all. Every year Mr. B’s opening speech to his 11 and 12-year-olds on the Kyleliners found the same theme: “If you work hard every shift, if you strive to improve and learn from your mistakes, we will win as many games as we should and we will lose as many games as we should, and regardless of where we end up at the end of the year in the standings, we will hold our heads high because we know we did the best we could.”

Jim did the best he could. Always. For the entirety of his life.

His favorite uncle Orville was fond of saying, “three score and 10. Anything after that is bonus time.” Jim had nine years of bonus time. We wish he had more but sadly accept that an era has ended. There was only one Jim, one JB, one Mr. B, and he will be missed and loved forever and ever and lots and lots of days.

Jim was predeceased by his parents, Harold and Ramona; sister Beverley; and daughter Kimberley Anne-Louise Blevins. He is survived by his wife Gail; son Kevin (Kim) Blevins and his grandchildren, Stacey and Kalyna.

A Memorial Service will be held for Jim at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, SK, on Thursday, July 6, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.  His interment will follow at the Star City Cemetery, in Star City, SK on Friday, July 7, at 1:00 p.m. Flowers are gratefully declined. Those wishing to make a donation, should do so to youth sports in their communities.