Please accept my sincere condolences on your loss. I was a student in James' class in 2003 and James was truly a very great teacher. He was seemingly cool, but he had a very passionate heart. At that time, I was not very confident in my English and I spoke very poor English. But he didn't focus on that, he was passionate about talking of business. I asked him many questions and he answered them sincerely. He was really a great teacher, and me and my classmates enjoyed his class a lot.
After I returned from Vancouver, I visited there about twice. Each time, I contacted James and we met again. The picture is from that time (2007).  I wish I could have seen you again. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. 

I went to Central Junior High and Vic High with James. We weren't close friends, but we used to hang out in the art room together and I would always stop to talk to him in the halls. We unfortunately lost touch after high school, but I always remember him being a great guy and super funny. I have nothing but fond memories of our friendship and I am saddened to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family.

James and I met at Canadian Tire somewhere around 1990. We lived together for a summer. We studied economics together at UVic and SFU. We did Improv together. We did sketch comedy together. We had a lot of fun together. I have so many good memories with him. He had an energy about him and he could really make people laugh. Unfortunately it's been many years since I last saw him. But James was still my friend. He had a large impact on my life and he inspired me. I don't think I would be where I am today if he had not come into my life. I am glad you did James. Thank you. I will miss you. 

James and I with the Impromaniacs somewhere around '94.

I was in James' Econ class my first year at bcit a year ago and he always made us laugh. Every lab he'd showcase a new exercise and tell us to shake off the rust. He was empathetic and joyful. He loved showing us all pet pictures before lectures. He tried his best to make sure we'd put time into forming healthy habits. He won't be forgotten.

We're a group of Geomatics students that had James for a single business class last semester (Fall 2022). Wow did this hit our cohort hard when we heard of James passing. We all found great value in what James taught us throughout our semester with him. We're all better people for the knowledge he passed along to us, and we'll use what we've learned from him throughout our careers. One of our classmates was even planning on asking him for mentorship throughout their degree project. We'd like to offer our Condolences to James family, and want them to know he was nothing but a positive influence on our lives.

James was such a lovely man, and it was always a highlight to meet him out walking with his dogs, although Teddie wasn’t thrilled with his latest rescue!
I will miss seeing him, and the highest compliment from my hometown Newcastle is that a man can be named a “caany lad.
Rest in peace caany lad

Michelle, I am so sorry to hear about James. I will miss seeing him walking the dogs by my house and all over town.  My thoughts to you and your family and of course to the fur babies who will miss him terribly.  My prayers are with you. Sharon and Cody 🙏

This is my only photo I have of Jim. This was taken along the Tsawwassen causeway with our friend Jordan. This was around ‘91 or ‘92. They were heading from Victoria to do a summer of tree planting. This would be the last time I saw Jim until Facebook reconnected us in 2008. 

Yesterday I learned of the passing of my friend Jim. I am deeply saddened by his sudden departure and my heart is broken for Michelle and their family.

I have known Jim since the two of us were classmates in the same grades 3/4 split classroom at George Jay Elementary in Victoria. Jim was only 6 months older than myself but being a Fall child, was a grade ahead. During those elementary years, Jim was my best friend. He lived up the street from me and we would spend our summers walking around Victoria chatting and connecting over our love of comic books. We then both moved on to the same junior high where we were permanent fixtures in the art room. There, we developed our own comic stories and explored other adjacent interests. After high school, we drifted away as many friends do at that time as we followed our own paths to adulthood.

When we reconnected years later in the mid-aughts (thanks to the emergence of social media where we found each other again) I was amazed that he became an economist and was teaching at BCIT. Looking back I could see the evolution and growth of his sharp, insightful mind. Jim was by far one of the funniest and wittiest souls I've met. He was doing observational humour in the 80's before Seinfeld made it a thing in the 90's. His capacity to provide a different perspective on the world was evidence of his strong critical and creative thinking skills.

The last time we saw each other was 2018 where we enjoyed a sushi lunch by BCIT. As old friends, the conversation flowed easily and my intention afterwards was to make the effort to see each other more regularly. I will miss my dear friend. He played such a vital role in my life during those formative years of childhood and youth. His story should have been longer but he achieved so much during the time he had connecting with others and I think that is a wonderful legacy. Goodbye Jim.

The Fitness team at the Mission Leisure Centre wish to pass along our sincere condolences for the loss of James. He was a positive, bright and hardworking participant, and he has been missed over the last few weeks. 

Our thoughts are with you, Michelle, your family, friends and fur-family members 🐾  

Jim was my husbands youngest brother. Jimmy, Billy and Bobby, as the neighbourhood families affectionately called them. Jim was the tallest of the trio and had the best sense of humour. He had 10 nieces/nephews on the Macadam side and he was intentional, fun and    curious  about their lives.  Our children loved books and would ask Uncle Jim to read to them. Him would create voices and act out the book, stating he couldn’t read! Our older children soon figured out his antics but played along with Uncle Jim because it was hilarious to watch and listen to him!
We had intentions to make 2023 the year we connected more. We ran out of time and our hearts are broken. Michelle, we are so sad and grieve along side you. Big hugs🙏❤️.

Dear Michelle, 
I am deeply sorry for your unimaginable loss.  I am struggling to find words of comfort, but realize there are no words holding that power. 

I never met James, but I think our paths crossed at BCIT and I saw him on the campus.  He was hard to miss. 

Your tribute to him on these pages is moving and captures the essence of a beautiful life and love. 

I'm sorry for your pain. 


When I started working at BCIT in the School of Business and Media, James was very kind and welcomed me with open arms.  He helped me navigate the complexities of my new surroundings.   His passion for learning and teaching is what I will remember the most about James.  He shared this passion with his colleagues by bringing us together and talking about teaching  and what we think good teaching is.  James was smart (taught many different courses: econ, management, business stats,...), open to taking on new challenges and always supportive of his colleagues and students.  What a lost for BCIT.  

We’re so sad and shocked to hear about James. I met James through my roommate Tanya, when he was working on his Masters at SFU. He was so kind and down to earth, with the best sense of humour. But what struck me the most was his empathy. Genuine empathy for others, and wanting to cheer them up, if someone was down. His selflessness will never be forgotten. We will all miss your kind, generous nature. Sincere condolences to Michelle, all of his family and friends. 

Always enjoyed discussions with James whether in the staff lunchroom or in the hallway, always had a smile and a comment on books he was reading or ideas on things. I will miss that human touch, my sympathies are with his family and close friends.  Fair winds and following seas James.

I am so sorry to here about James's passing.  I've always enjoyed discussing books and economics and technology with James.  He will really be missed.

July 1, 2015 (Canada Day) ... Pat/Owen Brown visiting from Thailand. Was a lovely day together, catching up and sharing memories.

I had the privilege to work with James over the years and he was always positive, funny, and always had something interesting to say.  James will truly be missed at BCIT.   I am truly sorry for your loss Michelle and family,

James was a warm and friendly person. It was a treat to meet James in the hallway or the resource room on campus.  A conversation with James was always interesting, enlightening, and supportive – regardless the topic.  James will be sadly missed.  

James was a dear friend and a special person. I still can't fathom his parting, it's truly devastating in a way that I can't express. Michelle, I'm so very sorry for your loss.

I knew James together with my wife Pat from the mid 1990s, and we always enjoyed our time together. Even though we hadn't connected in these past few years, we always considered him an important person in our lives.

James had a different outlook on life than most, and that was refreshing. His wit, humour often had us laughing. There's a 30 second bit from our wedding video where James narrates the thoughts of a completely bored out-of-his-mind then child Cain, while absently playing with his shoe - it has us in stitches every time we see it.

Comedy and humour embodied James when I knew him. I joined one of a few trips to Montreal for the Just 4 Laughs festival and really cherish that time we had together. I often felt that if he really wanted he could've worked in that world professionally. 

However, James had many interests and passions. He was ever curious and always seemed to be learning. He was into podcasts and introduced me to Freakonomics, among others. He was a devoted teacher who cared for his students. He was a loving partner to Michelle. He was many things, and we'll miss each and every one of them.

James, the world is a bit less brighter without you, my friend. I will miss you forever.

Michelle, please accept our deepest condolences. Please reach out if there's anything we can do to help.

I am so, so sorry Michelle. It  breaks my heart to write these condolences to you💔. 
I loved meeting and getting to know James over the past few years. He always had a smile on his face, a funny comment, and dogs by his side. He was a sweet, caring gentle giant by all senses - I wish wholeheartedly I could have gotten to know him better. 
 It has been an honour to learn more about James this past week. There is nothing I can say to take away the pain of this tragedy - just know we all love and care for you immensely. ❤️


I am shocked to hear this news.

James was a wonderful guy. I remember teaching in a classroom next door to his class on Friday afternoons last semester. We were the only ones in the building. He would wait until I was finished and we would walk back to our offices. We had great chats about different topics throughout the semester.

Also, James was one of the first instructor I met when I first taught at BCIT. He again was teaching across the hall and we ended up talking to each other. James introduced himself and made me feel comfortable. I will always remember his big smile when I met him.

I will truly miss him seeing him down the hallway, smiling, and waving at me. 

Ken





James was a creative, devoted, and resourceful teacher. His passing is a great loss to BCIT.

James loved teaching and learning, especially reading. He organized the Book Club for SOB + M before the pandemic. All faculty and staff members, as well as students, were invited to joined on Wednesday afternoons. I still remember his love of reading when he shared his reading of Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman in the first meeting of the Book Club.

Recently, James and I co-taught ECON2100 to marketing students in 2021 fall. We knew how importance of microeconomics to business students, especially marketing students. James introduced the ideas of doing group project on real companies in lab. All the students enjoyed the group project. James was loved by his students and admired by his colleagues.

James loved what he did as a teacher. He taught from his heart and will always be remembered here at BCIT as a great teacher.


I got to know James through Michelle, I found him very easy to have discussions with. He was interested in people and life. He was down to earth, and had a wonderful sense of humor, and I’ll miss are talks about technology.


My truly deepest condolences to James' family. I can only imagine how much you must miss him right now. Just getting to work with James, he was, as others have already described him, a light.

It was always a treat getting to bump into him in the hallways, lunch room or getting off at Brentwood station before he'd do his walk to BCIT. He was always happy to chat, would have fascinating ideas to share and a caring, generous way about him.

James, you will be truly missed.

I met James on July  16th 1996. 

Owen took me to his cousin's BD and i ended up sitting near James. I laughed the entire night. We became  friends. He had away of brightening up a room with his positivity and smile.  He was awesome. So honest in  a very funny way aboit so many deep.issues. He had a lovely mind which made him a lovely human.  His actions spoke louder than words.  He was everyone's biggest cheerleader.  He was encouraging, generous and supportive. The world was a better place with him in it.

Michelle you have our deepest condolences.  We are so sorry for this incredible loss.  

Dear Michelle 
We are so sorry for your loss.   Words seem so inadequate at this sad time.  You are in our thoughts.  May you find some peace in knowing how much you are loved.   🙏 

Mandy
.

James was my friend. He was so funny, so supportive, so kind and so optimistic. He always managed to catch me off guard with his quiet dry sense of humor. Losing him now feels so unfair. Unfair to the world. Unfair to his students. Unfair to his friends and family. Deeply unfair to Michelle. James loved Michelle dearly. I wish they had more time together. I wish they had years more of walks and hikes and playing with their dogs. His loss will leave a giant hole in the lives of so many.

The loss of James is such a shock. He will be so missed. I first met him almost 25 years ago and will always remember his love for Michelle, their dogs and endless mugs of tea - in that order. 
Goodbye James, with love, Laura..

I’m grateful we shared a fun Thanksgiving together sharing tea, playing Uno, and bonding with Annie and Stanley. You seemed like a genuine, generous, and gentle person with infinite love for Michelle and your dogs. The warmth and kindness you gave to this world will be felt for years to come. 

We met James through Michelle, Julia's dearest professor, mentor, and more essentially a wonderful friend. While James' passing saddens us we remain thankful for haven met him and spent time together in our house, in theirs, for the immense and warm support he alongside Michelle provided us when Julia was going through a big challenge. His wisdom, comradeship and receptiveness means the world to us. We are also profoundly thankful on behalf of Michelle, for the limitless love he bashed her with and the life they shared with their furry buddies. James will stay in our minds and hearts forever as an inspiration, we send our love and support to Michelle and James' family.

James was a wonderful, coworker, friend and office mate.  I really enjoyed and will miss our chats in our shared office about current events, sustainability and other mutually interesting and valued topics.  We often would just share a pot of tea and catch up on the news of each others lives and families.  Michelle, he often spoke fondly of you and your dogs and how he enjoyed the time he spent with you.

James you will never be far, as you have touched the lives of so many with your kindness, humour and support.    You will be missed as you brightened the days of all that were fortunate to know you and will live on in our hearts and memories.

Oh James! 

I remember all our laughs at the office - talking about everything from work to social life. How you’ll always encourage me to start a mentorship program or a business or even be on TV, because “Debbie, you have what it takes. It is so easy for students to like and listen to you”. 

I really can’t believe you are gone. I pray for peace for you and your loved ones. 

 I had the privilege of working with James for years at BCIT, he was one of the most kind, sincere and lovely people I have known.  I am shocked and very much saddened by his sudden passing at such a young age.  We had so many chats over the years, from economics, to his series of aging rescue pups, to teaching.  He will be sorely missed at BCIT.  My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

I'm so sorry to hear this.  The things I remember most about James were his friendliness and consideration.   Whenever we'd see each other he always had a joke or a thoughtful comment.  He was a great colleague, an expert in his field, and a brilliant teacher, but he'll be missed most for his kind soul.  May he rest in peace.

We started to work at BCIT at the same time. I was a new immigrant to Canada and James was a new instructor. He was always supportive and ready to help, curious about the world, and willing to engage other colleagues in what was interesting to discuss together. He will be remembered for his quiet leadership, kindness, and superior work ethic.

I always felt a very deep sense of peace when James was around.
Sincere condolences to James' family and friends.

I had the pleasure of knowing James at BCIT and although we didn’t know each other well, we always seem to be in the copy room at the same time. As I struggled to unjam the machine or refill the paper trays (we would laugh as the trays always seem to be empty) and he would always stop and help. My deepest condolences to his family.
Barb Smith 

A wonderful colleague and friend  with whom I shared many interesting conversations on a wide variety of topics over the years. Our hallway conversations would always go over the agreed-upon "couple of minutes for a quick chat", leaving us both to scramble to make it to our classes on time. We will all miss your light, your wit and your intellect, dear friend. Rest in Peace, James.

James was a colleague of mine over the seven years I've been at BCIT. While noted for his very tall stature, I think everyone can agree that what made him standout more was his kindness, positivity, curiosity, and friendliness. I would say he was one of those truly glass-half-full people who was always looking on the bright side of things.

His organization of a School of Business book/topic of the week club pre-Covid was a highlight for faculty/staff to get together and share ideas, and we always had engaging conversations in the lunch room. I am glad we were able to share these times together over the years.

Condolences to his family.

Thomas

I was so shocked and saddened to hear of James' passing. He was a lovely, kind, and keen and interesting person. His presence in our hallways will be sadly missed by us all.
Sending my condolences to his family and friends through this very difficult time.
Ruth MacKay,
Co-worker at BCIT


As others have said, James was a light. The halls and classrooms at BCIT will be a little less bright without James to add to it.

James was always positive, always smiling, and always had time to chat and help. When you left a conversation with him, you felt lighter, you felt wiser, you felt calmer. My impression of him will always be one of peace and center. A gentleman with curly hair and a smile who will be greatly missed.

My heart goes out to the family on this sad occasion. Please know that you are all in our hearts and thoughts.

I'm so sorry to hear about the passing of James, and my thoughts are with his family.

He was a thoughtful and engaged instructor back when I did my BBA at BCIT. Most recently, he was one of the first to welcome me to the fold as I joined the faculty ranks. I'll miss our chats. He could always be counted on to talk about a variety of topics with insight and curiousity.

 He will be missed.

James was such a great person and instructor, someone we could look up to, not only because of his height, but also because of his kindness and humility.

I always enjoyed interacting with James in the hallways or the lunchroom. He was always very friendly, calm, insightful, and a great conversationalist who would have insight on a large variety of topics. Although very large in stature and brilliant, he was able to make himself very approachable and relatable through his kindness and humility. We can all learn from how he communicated and interacted with others.

James is one of those rare people who everyone likes and only have positive things to say. Over his roughly ten years at BCIT, he has established an excellent name for himself. He was highly respected by his colleagues and students alike and will be greatly missed.

First off, I can’t imagine the School of Business + Media without James’ happy and positive attitude. I worked as the Administrative Assistant in James’s department for about 4 years and in that time, I would see him in the hallway and say hi/ask him how he was doing/how his week was going. He was always quick to say something positive about his week or what he had going on that week.

James was always a pleasure to work with. I will always remember him standing in his office, with his laptop on the top of his filing cabinet. I remember seeing his work set up for the first time and thinking….to be THAT tall, that you could have that kind of set up. I thought it was ingenious.

The hallways and classrooms of our school and BCIT have lost the happy and positive light that James was. James and I would swap movie, book and article recommendations often. SO many times, he had great articles that would inspire me to take an actual break from my work and look them up. After reading or watching his recommendations, I’d make a point of letting him know what I thought.

James’ positive attitude, quick wit and happy-go-lucky nature will forever be etched into our school. He will not be forgotten but remembered for who he was: a great human being that will be missed by SO many.

To his wife Michelle, James’ family, friends, and colleagues- I’m so sorry for your loss. Absolutely, without a doubt a terrible, terrible loss.


James was a trusted and well-liked colleague at BCIT.  We shared course teaching a couple of times and James filled in for me as Program Head a couple of times when I was away.  He liked to teach downtown at the BCIT DTC campus, and understood his students well, teaching Managerial economics and management courses.  He was a quiet leader, not wanting to become a program head (although we urged him to become one), but still working on moving important things forward, working for example as the coordinator for our Consulting projects and leading a study on Kaizen.

James was a "gentle giant."  He was a tall man who often stood next to the filing cabinet to use his computer, as it was the only thing tall enough for him.  We often chatted about issues and students in the department.  Recently, I consulted with him on how to deal with the DTC student groups he had been teaching.  He was planning a year away from BCIT to work on a "good habits" project he was interested in.

James was insightful, clever, experienced, and never angry.  He could be trusted to do a good job in whatever he chose to do. He will be sorely missed by students and his friends and colleagues. It is hard to imagine the hallways without his cheerful presence.

OBITUARIO

James Maxwell Macadam

1 noviembre, 1970 – 19 diciembre, 2022

Woodlawn Mission Funeral Home

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