JAMES PETER GEORGAS 1926 - 2015

Jimmie Georgas passed away peacefully after a short illness on April 27th at the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital. Jimmie was born in Owen Sound, Ontario on April 2, 1926, the 7th of ten children of Chris and Sadie Georgas. Jimmie’s life was taken up almost completely by sports and music. The two words which would summarize his character would be determined and passionate. He was an excellent clarinetist, playing with his brothers Earl & Nick in their own Dixieland band, in the Armed Forces Reserve Grey & Simcoe Foresters band and the Owen Sound City band. In his 40’s he even converted to the alto saxophone to play in a Jazz Rock band. As an athlete he won countless trophies in golf, skiing, cycling & duathlons. He was 5 times Masters World Cycling Champion & 10 times World Masters Duathlon Champion, racing actively until his 84th year. As a skier, he was one of Canada’s top downhillers into the 1950’s and was named as an alternate for the 1952 Canadian Olympic Downhill and Slalom Ski Team.
He went on to coach Canada’s National ski teams & was a ski instructor at Blue Mountain Resort continuously for six decades. He received many sports awards and was inducted into three Sports Hall of Fame including Owen Sound, Collingwood & The C.S.I.A Ontario Skiing Hall of Fame. He worked in a number of fields over the years, as a projectionist in his father’s theaters, as a draftsman for a ship building firm, as part owner of a clothing store with his brothers Earl & Nick, as a sales representative for Seagram’s, as a manager of his brother Louis’ resort - the Famous Bay Motor Inn, as a production manager for Goodyear Tire & Rubber & also sold real estate in Spain for several years and with his own gardening business around Blue Mountain. He served in the Armed Forces during World War II and was wounded in a grenade accident during training in Canada, preventing him from going Overseas in 1945.
Jimmie is survived by his wife Barbara, his sister Helen, his brothers Earl & Nick, his children Chris, Marilynn & James, his grandchildren James, Cynthia & Laurence, his great grandchildren, Lindsay, Billie & Grayson, his Goddaughter Elizabeth Graham and proudly remembered by many nieces & nephews. He is predeceased by his siblings, George, William, Louis, Constance, Alfreida, Georgia and his Goddaughter Nora Armstrong. As per his wishes cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday July 16, 2015 at the Royal Canadian Legion - Collingwood . If so desired, the family would appreciate donations to the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital Foundation as your expression of sympathy.

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