James Kazakoff

Kazakoff, James – May 10, 1937 – October 30, 2015, passed away peacefully at the Kamsack and District Nursing Home at the age of 78 years.

                 James was born to Alex and Mary Kazakoff, (nee Strelioff) the second youngest of six children. They lived on a farm south of Veregin. He had a wonderful childhood playing on the farm and working the land with his father and brothers. He enjoyed working with the animals and after a day of hard work they would meet at the summer kitchen for supper.

                He attended Wisnia School up until the eighth grade, after which he left school to help his dad on the farm. James loved the farm, it was in his blood.  Following that he went to help his uncle Paul Strelioff farming, they farmed thousands of acres. Soon after he met and married a wonderful woman, and had 4 children Wanda, Randy, Katherine, & Jacqueline.

                He changed careers and went to work for Nykolaishen Farm Equipment for many years, after which he started with Broda Construction where he worked as a heavy equipment mechanic. He would often work away for weeks at a time,  when he would come home it would be a joyous homecoming, where he would celebrate with his family by going out for supper night after night in the many restaurants in town.  He had a true old school work ethic and put in many long days at work; he never shied away from work, and believed that when everyone worked everybody benefitted.

                James enjoyed country music immensely and he was a wonderful singer hence the nickname "Jimmy Cash", he enjoyed singing to his children, and at get togethers. His favorite song was "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones, which he listened to every chance he could. James was able to attend a George Jones concert in his younger days, and it was an extremely memorable experience.

                James also loved playing cards and entertaining. He took great pride in his own appearance as well as that of his house, yard, and vehicle. He enjoyed gardening and BBQing in the summer. He loved having his family over, whether it be dying Easter eggs, or just to watch TV. In his later years he really enjoyed watching TV, One of his favorite shows was The Walking Dead. He enjoyed it so much that he had both a satellite dish and cable with two TVs running at the same time.

                He enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren and his eyes would light up anytime his great grandchildren would come to visit. One of his fondest memories was when one of his great grandchildren learned how to say "whatever will be, will be", in Russian.

                He spent his final years in the Kamsack Nursing Home, where he enjoyed keeping the staff on their toes. He truly enjoyed his time with the staff, they made every effort to treat him like family, and make his stay there as enjoyable as possible.   James had a certain weakness for chocolate bars and pop, he made sure he always had a plentiful stash of them on hand. He didn’t hesitate to share with those who came to visit.

                While James faced his own challenges and obstacles throughout his life, he was a kindhearted and loving man and the loss of his presence will be felt by many.

            James is survived by his children; Wanda (Brian), Katherine (Ross), Jacqueline (Mike), Randy, 3 grandchildren; Savanna (John), Matthew, Shelby, three great grandchildren Anallah, Mykelti, Nixon, 2 sisters; Vera and Paulette (Bill), two brothers; Walter, Alex (Jean) and by several nieces and nephews. James is predeceased by his parents and by one brother Pete.

            As with James’ wishes, a funeral service will be held at a later date. To leave a note of condolence for the family please visit Wolkowski.ca