Date of Birth: January 27, 1937
Date of Death: July 22, 2026
James MacKay Brock was born Jan. 27, 1937, in Saskatoon, SK, the only son of Robert and Marjorie (nee Nesbitt) Brock and big brother to Marjorie (Babe). He received his education in Saskatoon, Lloydminster, Yorkton and Winnipeg.
As a young man, Jim was very active in many sports including speedskating, hockey, baseball, track and field, stock car racing, downhill skiing, golfing and fishing. Some of his other interests included the military. At age 17, Jim had three military uniforms hanging in his closet; they included Army Reserve – Yorkton; 53rd Field Regiment Artillery – Rank Bombardier (Corporal); Air cadets #17 Squadron Yorkton Rank Flight Sergeant; Air Force Reserve Saskatoon Rank Leading Aircraftsman – Trained as Aircraft Technician.
In the 60s, Jim moved to Winnipeg to work for the Singer sewing machine company. He trained as a hair dresser and became a professional dancer for five years.
He was adventurous and tried his hand at many things.
In Winnipeg Jim met and married his first wife, Colleen Anderson, who became the mother of two sons, Robert in 1965 and Michael. Michael died during childbirth on Dec. 18, 1966. Jim never fully recovered from the death of his son, and Christmas was never the happy holiday it had once been. Six months later his dad, Robert, died in Kamloops at age 59.
Eventually Jim ended up back in Yorkton working for CJGX radio and CKOS TV behind the camera. Divorced and arthritic, Jim married his second wife, Paulette Propp. They were together for nine years, and they had one son, Scott, in 1977.
Divorced for the second time, he returned to television, this time on the other side of the camera as a news anchor and weatherman. Later on he became a charter bus driver, managed movie theatres, was involved in car clubs and a men’s choir. Jim is noted for being the voice of the tree on the children’s TV show ‘Poetree and Friends’, as well as ‘Maynard’, and made a very convincing Santa. Eventually he moved to a small farm south of Yorkton. Stubbornly still looking for happiness, he met and married Linda Bleau (a widow with five children still at home). Together they had a son, Robert (Bobby), born in 1981.
Tragedy struck again just two years later when Linda passed away with cancer, aged 38 years.
Jim and the six children had a difficult time to say the least, 46 years old, facing foreclosure on their farm home. After all his bad luck, his life changed for the better; he met Edna Schmidt at Safeway in Yorkton, and in 1990 they were married. Jim was 53 years old. Together they lived in several different places including Yorkton, Willowbrook and Melville.
Jim and Edna made a few motorbike trips and travelled in their RV across Canada. Together they had many pets and livestock; Jim was very fond of his dog Jackson and his horse Beau Diamond, as well as the many family pets in his life. Edna passed away in October 2025.
Later on in Jim’s life, he started to develop dementia, which led to him having to live in a care home. He remained there until a couple months ago when he developed infection in his one foot. He became hospitalized and never recuperated. Jim passed away on the evening of Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Jim was predeceased by his parents, Robert and Marjorie; his son, Michael; his wives, Colleen, Paulette, Linda and Edna; his sister and brother-in-law, Marjorie (Babe) and Dywaine; and stepdaughter Dawn. Left to cherish his memory are his sons, Robert and Diane, Scott and Shyla, Bobby and Samantha; stepson Lloyd and Val; as well as many grandchildren, nieces and nephews and great-grandchildren.
Funeral Service was held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at Matthews Funeral Home, Melville with Deacon Kevin Prouten officiating. Readers were Nicole Schmidt, Judith Silverthorne and Deborah Gembey. Eulogy was read by Lloyd and Val Schmidt. Musician was Brenda Cottrell. Urn bearer was Lance Schmidt. Interment followed at the Melville City Cemetery.
Arrangements were entrusted to Matthews Funeral Home, Melville.
