POWERS, James Rolla

Once upon a time, on November 19, 1935 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, a special boy was born to Rolla and Agnes Powers. That boy was James Rolla Powers. While he was special for many reasons, as are all newborns, and was of course the case with his siblings Patty, Jack, Kathy and his twin, Judy, he would certainly prove special to his children as he would someday become our dear father. Jimmy grew up in a bustling home as a much loved younger brother who revered his older siblings, and also shared that special bond between twins. As our grandfather's work required uprooting the clan fairly often, the family moved a lot while he was young, eventually relocating to Canada and landing in St.Catharines when Jimmy was 15. He attended the St.Catharines Collegiate where - as the 'new kid in town' laden with all the uncertainties that can entail - being a naturally gifted athlete, he gained acceptance and found his place by proving himself on the basketball court and the football field, making several life-long friends as a result. His journey next led him to attend Western University in London, ON. During this time he met our mother, Holly Dorland of NOTL; marrying in December of '59. While at Western, he competed for the varsity basketball and football teams, again forging lasting friendships, and ultimately graduating in the spring of '60 with a degree in business. Many familiar stories remain with us from these formative years. Back in St.Catharines, Dad took his degree and landed a job at Atlas Steel in Welland, ON. He had ambitions and recognized that his path to realizing them lay in understanding the steel making process, as he would say, "From the melt shop floor on up". This he certainly did, eventually rising to Plant Manager in Welland and the presidency of several mills over the course of an impressive and successful career, including Burlington Steel in Hamilton, and Acier Atlas in Tracy, Quebec during this period. Throughout his years in St.Catharines, Dad became an avid tennis and squash player, serving for a time as President of the St.Catharines Tennis and Racquet Club, and overseeing the conversion of the North American squash courts to the more popular International courts. He was one of the driving forces behind the growing development of local squash: arranging for world ranked players to hold exhibition matches locally, as a competitor in the regional squash league, and rising at one point to the top local A player by winning the Welland Club A Championship. Any person who competed against our father in sport will tell you that it certainly was an intense experience...he never gave less than his all. The next phase of Dad's life unfolded as a solitary journey that saw him drive his beloved Honda Goldwing motorcycle across the continent to Washington State, where, having gained a well earned reputation within the industry for turning around struggling mills, he took on the presidency of Seattle Steel. It was here that he met and married Mary Ann Keenan. With the Seattle area now as his permanent home base, he spent brief stints as President of Sydney Steel in Nova Scotia and Bethlehem Steel in Johnstown, PA., eventually retiring with Mary Ann to Gig Harbor, Washington, and regularly travelling back to Ontario to visit family and friends. Over the years, Dad developed a love of wood working that he had explored as a young man, and became highly adept at turning wood bowls - many of which we are all blessed to have as touching reminders of him. He was inclined to assign to the fire pit those bowls that didn't meet his strict standards, but we would often insist that certain of the oblong or cracked castoffs were some of his true gems! After a recent decline in health, hastened by the complications of progressing dementia, his children and grandchildren were fortunate to have the chance to express their love and appreciation in person one last time shortly before our beloved father concluded his amazing journey on Monday, December 12, 2022. James Rolla Powers passed away at the age of 87 at his care home in Gig Harbor in the presence of his attentive care-givers. Dad was a passionate person, whip-smart with a wonderful sense of humour, and a generous heart. He loved rousing games of Rummoli and Hearts, was a fierce cribbage player, loved Clint Eastwood Westerns, Robert Ludlum books, good pizza, 'popcorn night', camping and fishing trips, watching his kids compete in sports, and, as much as anything, cooking steaks on the barbecue with family and friends. He was a wonderful provider to his children and our mother, and a loving husband to Mary Ann. Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Ann (and her daughters Barb, Laurie, Christina), his twin sister, Judy Howard (Gary), his children Susan Bracken (Frank), Tom Powers (Joanne), Jane Morrison (Rod), and Juli Powers, as well as his grandchildren Ben and Leah Bracken, and Julian Powers. He is, and always will be, dearly missed. Our father specified cremation, and no open funeral service. The family will be holding a small, private service in his honour. For anyone wishing to make a donation in his memory, please direct funds to The Alzheimer Society.

"I will not follow where the path may lead, I will go where there is no path and leave one for others."