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Obituary of James “Jimmy” Condie VALLANCE
James “Jimmy” Condie VALLANCE
James Condie – James “Jimmy” Vallance passed away peacefully at Elk Valley Hospital in Fernie, BC, on June 4, 2026 at the age of 88. Born in Glasgow, Scotland on May 9, 1938, Jimmy became a teacher and taught in Scotland before he emigrated to Canada in 1966. He spent two years in Montreal teaching high school in the Town of Mount Royal, where he developed lifelong friendships and an enduring loyalty to the Montreal Canadiens. In 1968 he drove across the country to Fernie, where met Gayle Gaskell, a fellow teacher who would be his wife of over five decades. Together he and Gayle raised a family on Holmhead farm in Cokato, where over the years they kept chickens, horses, sheep and goats. Jimmy almost single-handedly constructed the farmhouse, barns, sheds, and fences, and took great pride in his painstakingly-trimmed lawns and landscaping.
Jimmy taught English, Social Studies, and History at Fernie and Sparwood Secondary Schools before retiring from teaching in 2001. He loved teaching and is fondly remembered by generations of students for his enthusiasm, kindness, and love of Smarties.
Athletics were a constant part of Jimmy’s life. He played rugby as a young man and coached the Sparwood Secondary rugby team. A lifelong cyclist, Jimmy covered tens of thousands of kilometres of highway on his road bike, once riding from Fernie to Vancouver to compete in the Seniors Games. He was also a keen hiker, snow-shoer, swimmer and mountain biker.
Jimmy loved the Elk Valley and often spoke of how lucky he felt to live and raise a family here. He was gregarious and loved a good exchange of views, whether in the pages of the Fernie Free Press or the local coffee shop. An avid reader and student of history and politics, he had a strong sense of justice, which led him to a lifetime of political activism (as well as a great many letters to the editor).
Jimmy is survived by his wife Gayle, children Keir (Sarah), Andrew, and Lindsay, and granddaughters Emily and Molly. They will remember his soft heart, his passion, and his wit, because when we remember the departed it keeps a part of them alive; a fragment of the human experience sustained by community and passed down to future generations. As long as we remember, the end is never truly the end.
The family would like to express their deepest thanks to the staff of Rocky Mountain Village and the Elk Valley Hospital, who took such good care of Jimmy in the last months of his life.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders.
La lucha continua.
www.cherishedmemoriesfs.com
