Obituary of James Cheyne

CHEYNE, James   'Jim'

It is with the heaviest and saddest of hearts that Yvette and Robin announce that the world lost their beautiful father on September 1, 2025. 

Born in Glasgow in 1939 at the beginning of WW2, Jim started out life in the most humble of circumstances complete with all the austerity and hardship there at the time. Although he was known as “wee Jimmy”, he grew up to be a very broad shouldered, tall, muscle-bound young man with a passionate temperament. 

At the tender ages of 18 & 20, Jim and his new bride, first wife Esther boarded the SS Empress of England in Liverpool, escaped it all, and endured the rolling voyage across the ocean to emigrate to Canada…not quite the type of honeymoon cruise one might expect. 

Despite his humble beginnings, or perhaps because of them, Jim learned to appreciate the all the good things in life like delicious food, fine wine & liqueurs, art (both on the canvas and on the stage), music, entertaining, beautiful vistas, and world travel…a joie de vivre he and his second wife, his beloved Gail, shared with gusto. 

Many will remember Jim from the stage in the Whitby Theatre Company and Oshawa Little Theatre, among other venues both amateur and professional. With his rugged handsomeness, towering presence, charm, and deep full voice, Jim was a leading man in drama, comedy, and musicals…though he admitted the dance part of “song & dance” was not his forte. If he wasn’t playing opposite his real-life leading lady Gail in a production, he was often being directed by her.

Ever the entrepreneur, Jim is also remembered by many for his business ventures: “Cheyne’s” Pine & Oak furniture shop in the 70’s, “The Lion & Unicorn” pub in the 80’s, and “Lakeside Marketing”, the consulting firm he and Gail brilliantly cultivated for more than two decades thereafter. 

With success also came incredible, selfless generosity with Jim and Gail helping so many along the way in one capacity or another. 

Both Jim and Gail described their relationship as “one of the great romances” and we feel Jim never fully recovered after losing Gail suddenly in 2005. Thus, the last 20 years have been much quieter, with Jim preferring to simply enjoy the company of Yvette & Robin as much as possible. 

Both girls, along with Yvette’s husband Michael, are forever and deeply grateful to have experienced the unconditional love of such a wonderful father. 

Jim will surely be fondly remembered by the Grays, extended family, and many special friends. 

We would like to give our deepest thanks to all the doctors, nurses, PT’s, OT’s, PSW’s, and staff from Ross Memorial Hospital, Kawartha North Family Health Team, and the community of Kawartha Lakes, as well as friends and family who have contributed to Jim’s care these past few years. Together, we were able to honour his wishes of being home until the end.

We would like to share a poem Jim wrote to Gail after she passed, as it now seems fitting once again:

“For every tear you cry for me,
I’ll paint a rainbow for you to see”. 

We’ll be watching for the many, many rainbows.