Christie, James Douglas (Died)

The funeral of the late James Douglas Christie, B.A., ex-Principal of the Simcoe High School, took place at St. Andrew's Church, Grimsby, on Thursday. Mr. Christie died on March 3 in Daytona, Fla., where he was spending the winter.

Born in Yarmouth, N.S., in 1852, he received his early education in Yarmouth Seminary, and in 1869 he and the late Judge Killam were the first Nova Scotians to matriculate in Toronto. Mr. Christie was graduated with honors in 1872. Fifty years - 1872-1922 - was the span of his active service in the classroom in Grimsby, Peterboro, St. Catharines, Chatham and Simcoe. Those 50 years were crowded with the activities of a successful teacher and conscientious citizen. Few men have had the privilege which was granted to him of shaping so many lives for high-minded, useful citizenship. For the past 33 years he lived in Simcoe and rendered invaluable service in building up the educational life of the town, as well as in other phases of its religious and community activities. He was a staunch Reformer.

On his retirement in 1922 from active teaching, owing to ill health, his ex-pupils, scattered far and wide, gave him an appreciation of their love and esteem in a generous bank deposit.

The officiating clergymen at the funeral were the Venerable Archdeacon Forneret, Hamilton; Rev. C.M. Farney, St. Mary's; Rev. C.K. Masters, Simcoe and Rev. J. Allan Ballard, rector of Grimsby. Major B. Baillie, Simcoe; Messrs. D. McGuire, Thomas Muir, Wardens of Trinity Church; George Gatwell, Trinity Sunday School; D.F. Aiken, Chairman Board of Education; J.H. Skeele, High School; D.J.S. Body, H.A. Johnson and H.J. Cook, County Inspector, attended as representatives of the Masonic Order. Beautiful floral tributes were sent from Simcoe by the Mason, Trinity Church and Board of Education; also by the Board of Education of Grimsby.

Mr. Christie was predeceased by his wife, Kate Nelles of Grimsby, and his son, Kenneth. One brother, Mr. Clarence Christie, survives him.

[Ed. note: a lengthy tribute to the late J.D. Christie, taken from the Simcoe Reformer, is found in the March 26, 1924 issue of the Grimsby Independent, located at the Grimsby Museum. Contact the museum for a copy.]