Obituary of James Lamont Hunter

James Lamont Hunter James Lamont Hunter passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on February 18, 2016 following a courageous seven-year battle with ALS. Jim is survived by his wife of 39 years, Heather, his three daughters, Sandra (Michael Berkheimer), Margaret (Dennis Snopkowski), and Elizabeth (Douglas Baerlein), and his granddaughter, Evelyn. Born in Claresholm, Alberta on March 21, 1952, Jim grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, the eldest child of the late Harry and Wilma Hunter and brother to Harry (Jane Skinner), Charlene (Wayne DeMott), and Charles. He graduated from the University of Victoria in 1974, where he studied economics and captained the Vikes varsity basketball team. Jim then completed his MBA in 1976 at the Richard Ivey School of Business, where he met Heather. Jim launched his career at Deloitte & Touche where he earned his Chartered Accountant designation and spent 16 years in public accounting in Toronto and London, England. In 1992, he joined Mackenzie Financial where he served as Chief Financial Officer until 1997, when he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. Jim was passionate about Mackenzie, which became one of Canada's fastest growing companies, increasing its asset base from $7 billion in 1992 to over $43 billion by the time Jim retired in 2004. During that time, Jim led Mackenzie's executive team in defending against a hostile takeover bid, securing a more attractive sale to Power Corporation, and successfully managing the transition to the new combined company. Jim then turned his energy and creativity to the founding of a new venture, NexGen Financial, in 2005. Jim brought that same enthusiasm and talent to his many community endeavors. He served as an advisor or director of a number of public companies, sports organizations, charities, and fund industry bodies. He was recognized for his achievements with his election to Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 2000, and with the Distinguished Service Award from Ivey in 2001, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Victoria in 2007, and the Career Achievement Award at the Canadian Investment Awards in 2011. Most important to Jim was that he always found time to be an outstanding husband, father, and friend. He set high expectations for himself and his family, and was the biggest supporter and champion of those dear to him. In addition, Jim loved to be active and was a competitive sportsman. He particularly enjoyed basketball, tennis, skiing, and golf, and was a long-time member of Lambton Golf and Country Club. Jim's diagnosis of ALS in 2009 was devastating, but throughout his lengthy illness, he continually inspired family and friends with his fighting spirit, positive attitude, and desire to make a significant contribution in the search for a cure. After his diagnosis, Jim dedicated his life to raising funds for research through The James Hunter Family ALS Initiative, with donations totaling over $5 million to date. Throughout his illness, Jim received wonderful care from his long-term caregivers and from Dr. Louie Mavrogiannis. The family extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Lorne Zinman and Dr. Janice Robertson and their teams for their support and tireless efforts toward finding a cure for ALS. In lieu of flowers, the family would be honoured if donations were made to The James Hunter Family ALS Initiative at the University of Toronto's Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (www.donate.utoronto.ca/tanz). Since Jim's death, Heather, Sandra, Margaret, and Elizabeth have been deeply touched by the many messages of support they have received from Jim's friends and former colleagues. The common thread in their condolences is how much they appreciated Jim as a gentleman and a person of humility, generosity of spirit, and humour. He will be deeply missed by all. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES - NEWBIGGING CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 25. A Celebration of Life will be held in ST. ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (King Street and Simcoe Street) on Friday, February 26 at 11:00 a.m. Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymilesnewbigging.com.