James Luke Christopher Williams

WILLIAMS, James

Nov 30, 1988 – Oct. 27, 2021

James Luke Christopher Williams passed away on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at the age of 32 years. He was an adventurer, a photographer, and a man who formed deep friendships.

James was born November 30, 1988 in Red Deer, Alberta. He was welcomed by his parents Marianne and Milton, and by his three older brothers John, Andrew, and Daniel. 

From the beginning James was a lovable boy, called “My Sweetness” by his mother. In a house with three older brothers he grew up as a quiet, shy, and very giving person. One morning when Marianne was still in bed, James, a toddler and looking for a good cuddle, went to her bedside and asked, "Mumma can I be your husband today?". She lifted the quilt, said "sure come on in", and laughingly snuggled her sweet little boy.

James loved hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, rugby, and rowing.  He excelled in a variety of sports so much that he represented his schools and local clubs provincially and at national competitions. He showed physical strength, skill, and leadership in his sports. James was also highly valued by his coaches and teammates. In fact, when the top tier Red Deer rugby team had asked his brother to join them, Daniel was amused to think one of the reasons he made the team was so that the Titans might entice James to play for them too!

As children, Daniel and James played together and were the closest of brothers.  As they grew, they remained best friends. They cemented their bond on their journeys together as adults. Their most notable adventure was their backpacking trip to South East Asia, India, China, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. On this odyssey, they got food poisoning, crossed mountain rivers on rickety wire and wood bridges, rode motorbikes over many miles, and took some great photos along the way. Once they finally found their way home safely together, James created a video of their epic travels. Dirt Bags.

James was an enthusiastic traveller. His solo adventures included bike treks along the Cowboy Trail and parks in Alberta. When he had enough riding for a day, James would pull over, and find a ditch or field to pitch his tent for the evening and have a quick meal. He rode his fat bike cross country through Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park over the winter landscape. His longest bike trek was the year long adventure from Patagonia, Argentina to Colombia. He rode over 14,000 km of dusty roads with amazing scenery and dozens of flat tires. A Year on my Bicycle: Riding South America 

On back-country ski trips, James was always warmly welcomed by his friends. He was up for anything and wouldn’t complain about ill fitting gear or his macerated feet. One ski trip on the Wapta Icefields, James fell head first into a rocky section. Although he ended up with a separated shoulder, he wasn’t worried about his shoulder or the pain. He was more excited about the free helicopter ride back to civilization and returning the borrowed and broken skis to his brother, Andrew.

On these trips he was highly skilled at thieving unattended food. We weren’t sure what he enjoyed more, taking the food or eventually getting caught and playing innocent. His travel mates eventually started bringing more food than normal when hiking with James. He particularly relished eating all of the smarties from a bag of trail mix. We loved him anyway. 

When you spent time with James, you understood what a warm and kind person he was. His nephews and nieces loved being with him. He jumped right into their worlds and adored spending his time painting, wrestling, and playing make-believe with them in cardboard boxes. He was a big kid at heart and took joy in playing friendly pranks on those he loved. His friends remember how easy he was to talk with and he always made you feel welcome. 

Ever the explorer, James wasn’t committed to a single career path he wanted to take. So, he tried several. He first followed in his brother Dan’s footsteps and went to Red Deer College for two years of philosophy. He finished this degree at the University of Alberta. After graduating, James decided to follow in his brother Andrew’s footsteps and began fighting forest fires in Northern Alberta out of Manning Air Tanker Base. A standout moment was when James worked tirelessly in High River during the 2013 Floods.  He and his crew were tasked with going through the destruction and sewer overflows to get the community back to safer conditions.  Within this bleak environment, James happened upon a black box.  Within it he found a wedding ring and a phone number.  Upon calling the number, James was told that the flood had washed the soon-to-be groom’s ring away from the jewellery store. It just so happened that the engaged couple were reconsidering their forthcoming marriage, but it was the discovery of the ring that they took as a sign to marry. James’s Unit Crew supervisor only heard of this story secondhand from other crew members. The story became widespread and helped to bolster morale during the floods.

It was inevitable that James eventually became a well-respected crew leader.  It didn’t take long for him to create new long lasting friendships up north.  He worked hard, but was loved most of all for the fun he got up to with his crew mates.  One friend shared that, “He was an amazing firefighter, but the memories I have were always the pranks or shenanigans we got into during the slow parts of the job.” He loved playing board games with his brothers, which evolved into dominating board games with his friends and crew mates. 

Although James was successful at anything he put his mind to, he particularly loved telling stories through videography and photography. These two passions were what he poured his heart and soul into. After receiving a full grant to complete a Diploma in Film at Red Deer College, he worked on set for the television show Heartland and won a Big Rock Eddie award in 2013 for a commercial his team created. He had just founded his own business where he beautifully captured weddings and created gorgeous travel videos.  Even though his business was in its infancy, his talent and creativity were undeniable.  James’s Facebook and Instagram are filled with breathtaking videos that friends and family can still view even though he is no longer with us. One of our favorite videos that James created was about two of his favorite things: coffee and nature. Helmecken Coffee.mov

James inherited a natural virtue from his mother. In spite of the struggles and doubts that life in this world brought, he always turned to his Catholic faith to heal. His faith was often understated in conversation, but it was obvious to those close to him that it was a faith deeply held. His earnest love of God, in his own simple way, was a silent but constant witness of Christ’s Church and the Sacraments, offering comfort to family and friends. To know James was to know Christ laughing, loving, and suffering here on earth.

He is lovingly remembered by his father, Milton; brothers, John (wife Katherine), Andrew (wife Rachel), and Daniel (wife Maureen); his 7 nieces and nephews, Owen, Luke, Eliana, Bria, Emilia, Harrison, and Benedict; as well as many other relatives and friends. 

He is predeceased by his mother, Marianne.

A private Funeral Mass will be held in Red Deer.

He will be sorely missed, but he will always be with us. The Laughing Heart.