James moved to Toronto from the Philippines back in the late 1960's after landing his dream job as a chemical engineer at Schenectady Canada Ltd., a major manufacturing firm specializing in resins used for industrial and consumer goods. 

He met his wife a few years later and they gave birth to their only daughter.

James led a full life in Toronto, enduring the trials and tribulations of raising a family. He also enjoyed countless road trips with his family, often traveling across Canada and the United States to sightsee every corner of the continent. 

He made the best of his life through challenging times, and although his frustrations sometimes took the best of him, his commitment to his family always prevailed.  He also embraced the good times through his generosity, love and affection, and gave the people around him the gift of his big smile and jolly demeanor. 

In 1985, the first of 2 tragic milestones occurred in his life.  He suffered an unexpected heart attack, and underwent a triple bypass heart surgery which his closest family members weren't sure he would survive. However, the moment he opened his eyes in the recovery room after the 12 hour surgery, his first thought in his own words were: "PRAISE THE LORD! I'm alive!" His second thought was: "Wow, I can breath so easily!"  His arteries in his heart were so clogged that he endured the tightness in his chest and his shortness of breath to the point that he had forgotten what it was like to breath with freedom and ease.

After his full recovery, his life had changed. He no longer ate fatty foods, and fish became his new favorite red meat substitution. Taking long walks in the evenings also became his new favorite past time. Life finally went back to "normal", and as he does with everything, he credits his strong Christian faith for helping him through his darkest moments.

In 1997, the 2nd unexpected tragedy in his life occurred. His wife of 26 years passed away suddenly. This devastated him so much that he expressed often during his time of grief that he was angry with God and could not understand why his beloved Lord Jesus Christ would take his wife from her family. Nevertheless, he stood strong, taking it one day at a time, until he could create a new "normal" with his life. 

Finally, in 2009, his daughter and son-in-law who lived in California had invited him to live with them. He said YES without a second thought, and a year later, he moved to Los Angeles. 

He left behind many friends and family, although he always remembered them during his years of living in LA.  

This memorial service in Toronto is the opportunity for friends and family to say a proper goodbye to him, and develop a new relationship with him through spirit.