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A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project
In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
MARSHALL, James Allister - was born on December 8, 1935 in Calgary and was the oldest son of Leslie and Jean Marshall of De Winton. Jim grew up on the family farm in De Winton along with his four sisters and one brother. In 1956, when he was 20 years of age, he joined the Navy and was posted to several places including Ottawa, Churchill, Moncton & Inuvik. While he was in Ottawa he met and fell in love with his beloved Anne and they were married on June 1, 1957. Whilst still in the navy, Anne and Jim were blessed with three children Brian, Wayne and Linda who loved him dearly. In 1966, after ten years service, Jim left the navy and returned to Calgary where he worked at Calgary Motors Products in the sales department. Later he formed his own Real Estate company called J.A. Marshall Real Estate and continued to enjoy farming on the family farm until he passed. Over the years Jim always remained connected to the land and horses which was his lifelong passion and always enjoyed attending local rodeos with his family, especially at the Calgary Stampede. Jim loved Country Music and liked to play it on his guitar and fiddle. He especially liked Johnny Cash. In 1982 Joshua James Marshall was born and being his only grandchild Jim became very close to Josh and loved spending every minute with him watching him grow up and sharing his love for music. Over the last 20 years Jim enjoyed his yearly trip to Fort Worth Texas each December to attend the famous National Cutting Horse Association competitions with his good friend Bob Gibson. He always remained connected with his many friends in and around De Winton and Okotoks and stayed in close contact with his Navy buddy, Doug Manion and visited him many times in Ottawa where they both were members of the SRS Oldtimers Group. The SRS (Supplementary Radio System) was the forerunner of today's military communications intelligence system and consisted of a small and close knit group of personnel who served much of their time in small and isolated communities like Churchill and Inuvik. Because of the nature of their work, the members could not talk much about what they were doing except in each other's company. This contributed to building a special solidarity that still exists today. Jim had a great sense of humor and a funny little smirk. He was quiet, gentle and a peaceful man who put people at ease and who always welcomed everyone into his home.
Ships served in:
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For Posterity's Sake 
