Obituary of James McGee Boyle

BOYLE - James McGee (Mickey) on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at the age of 91 years. Predeceased by his loving wife Suzanne, parents Thomas and Dorothy, brothers Gerald and John, sisters Evelyn and Geraldine. He leaves to mourn his daughters, Michele Blumberg (Stephen) of Victoria, Louise Cohen (Stephen) of Toronto, and Maureen of Regina, and son Robert of Vancouver. Grampa Mick will be forever remembered by his grandchildren Jeffrey, Nicholas, Michael, and Jennifer Blumberg; Samuel and Anna Cohen; Marlena, Lindy, and Jack Boyle; and Catherine Boyle. He will be missed by his sister Anna McIntyre of Boston; brothers Thomas (Marjory) of Vancouver, and Patrick of Saskatoon, and sister-in-law Patricia Boyle of Vancouver and their families. Mickey graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1940 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree after which he moved to Toronto and joined the firm of Clarkson Gordon and Company Chartered Accountants. In 1941 he joined the Canadian army as a private soldier. In May of 1946 he was discharged from the army with the rank of Major. On his return to Regina he became assistant manager of the Kings Hotel which was owned by his family. He was a director of the Canadian Restaurant Association for ten years. Later he opened Boyle Realty Company. He was an ardent supporter of the Regina Pats Hockey Club, leading its reorganization following its dormancy in the 1940s. He took over the Capital Hockey Team, a professional team which he operated for three years and which won the league championship twice. He was an alderman for the City of Regina for nearly two decades during which time he chaired the Parks and Recreation Committee. During his term in office, the City built enclosed hockey rinks with artificial ice, three public golf courses, numerous baseball fields and its Lawn Bowling Green and Clubhouse. He was an active member of the YMCA, and the Wascana Country Club since 1946. He loved the Qu'Appelle Valley and never stopped working to make Lake Katepwa accessible to area residents with lots of green space for recreation. Mickey authored Ninety Years of Golf, A History of Golf in Saskatchewan, published by the Saskatchewan Golf Association. He was currently working on another book on nutrition and diet. Friends and colleagues wishing to celebrate Mickey's memory can make a donation to the YMCA of Regina, 2400 13th Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 0V9. Memorial Service will be held Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. in Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina. A private family graveside service will follow in Riverside Memorial Park. An online book of condolences may be signed at www.speersfuneralchapel.com