Jim Carr Obituary, Death – It is with deep sorrow that the family of Jim Carr shares the news that he passed away on December 12, 2022, at the age of 71 years old. Winnipeg is the city where Jim was born. He began his life in River Heights, and he concluded it serving as the representative for that neighborhood in Parliament. His parents, David Carr and Esther Carr, passed away before he was born. He is survived by his wife, Colleen Suche, his children Rachel Carr (Sean Milne), Daniel Gange (Maryana), Ben Carr (Amy Kolbinson), Rebecca Carr, Jesse Gange (Manja Kovacic), and Kiernan Gange (Ainsley Johnston), his grandchildren Sophia and Markian Gange and Michelle Carr, and his brothers Alex (Fern) and Robert. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force (Shawn Greenberg).
The things that mattered most to him in life were his music, politics, family, and curiosity. At Grant Park High School, there was a required orchestra program, and he was given an oboe to play. Not only did he take to it, but by the time he was 16, he was playing in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his entire life, he never lost his enthusiasm for playing the oboe or music in general. However, politics were never too far away from him, and while he was still a member of the Orchestra, he worked as the executive secretary to a minister in the federal cabinet. After that, he pursued a career in a variety of capacities, such as executive director of the Manitoba Arts Council, member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, member of the editorial board of the Winnipeg Free Press, founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the Manitoba Business Council, and finally as a member of Parliament, a position in which he served in three different cabinet posts.
His dedication to the neighborhood never faltered, despite the multiple roles he played throughout the years. He served on the boards of the Canadian Club of Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the United Way of Winnipeg, the Canada West Foundation, the Winnipeg Airport Authority, the CBC, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, St. Boniface Hospital, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and The Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice. In 2011, he was inducted into the Order of Manitoba for his service.
In addition to being gregarious, enthusiastic, and respectful, Jim was extremely passionate about his hometown of Winnipeg, the prairies, and Canada as a whole. He felt an immense sense of gratitude for the opportunity to serve as a representative for his neighborhood in Parliament, an organization that he held in the highest regard. Extrovert par excellence, he reveled in striking up conversations with strangers. His joy came from engaging in conversation with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and listening to their contrasting points of view. Even though he always had a full class of senior students at the University of Winnipeg classes he taught, he always had the impression that he learned more from the students than they did from him. As much as he liked meeting with foreign heads of state, he delighted in interacting with students at the local school.
Jim’s commitment to his family was first and foremost in his life. He took great pride in Colleen’s achievements and treasured the times they spent together exploring the world and spending the summers at Caddy Lake. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride toward the blended family that they had built as well as each of their children. He was looking forward to seeing all of his loved ones gather together at their home in Todos Santos. Jim had a passion for the kitchen, and his brisket was always cooked to perfection. Around their big dining room table, he and Colleen entertained family members, friends, and other guests who traveled from near and far. Jim was very proud of his Jewish origin and often spoke passionately about his family’s history in Eastern Europe. He was dedicated not only to the Jewish community but also to the Jewish-Arab conversation that was taking place in the area. It was always his intention to bring people together via whatever he accomplished.
Even in his final weeks, Jim always had a positive outlook on life and a smile that could light up a room. Nobody could wring more satisfaction out of life than he could. No one. The astonishing feat that he achieved was that his private member’s bill, the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act, was passed through the House of Commons just days before he died away. His attitude and tenacity kept him going until his measure was successful. Because of the outstanding care they provided, the family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Leonard Minuk and the other doctors and nurses who worked at CancerCare Manitoba and the dialysis unit at the Health Sciences Centre.
They would also like to express their gratitude to the medical staff at Palliative Care Manitoba for the kindness and commitment they have shown over the course of the past four months. Because of their encouragement, Jim was able to maintain his level of engagement and vitality throughout the process of achieving his ultimate goal. Jim’s passing will leave a gaping hole for his family and the many friends he had. Donations to the Jim Carr Foundation housed within the Winnipeg Foundation are welcome in place of traditional floral tributes.