01/06/2026
James “Jim” Archibald McPherson Obituary
May 21, 1935 – Calgary, Alberta
December 18, 2025 – Calgary, Alberta
James Archibald McPherson was born in Calgary, AB, on May 21, 1935, to James Gordon and Vola Geraldine McPherson. From his earliest days, Jim’s life was rooted in family, hard work, and community—values that guided him throughout his life.
Jim spent his first year on his grandfather McPherson’s family farm in Springbank, followed by time in Turner Valley, AB. In 1938, his parents purchased a dairy farm in Cochrane, AB, where Jim grew up and developed a deep connection to rural life. He attended elementary school in Cochrane and later Mount Royal College in Calgary, before continuing his education at Mount Royal College and the University of Oklahoma, where he studied Geological Engineering.
It was during his Mount Royal years that Jim met Isabel Court of Lethbridge, AB. They were married on September 7, 1957, and began their married life in Norman, OK. After returning to Alberta, Jim worked in the oil industry before the couple eventually returned to the Cochrane dairy farm in 1963. It was there that Jim and Isabel raised their four children, building a home filled with love, responsibility, and shared purpose.
In 1978, Jim and Isabel sold the farm and moved to an acreage in Bearspaw. Together, they embraced a new chapter by purchasing and growing McPherson Management Ltd., working side by side in association management with a focus on agricultural organizations. Jim later pursued his creative interests through video production and, eventually, a successful career in real estate, which he enjoyed until retirement.
Jim believed strongly in giving back. He was actively involved in many community and service organizations, including King Solomon Lodge, the Bearspaw Lions Club, Order of the Eastern Star, Cochrane Minor Hockey Association, the Cochrane and District Community Fair Association, the Bearspaw-Glendale Historical Society, and the Southern Alberta Pioneers. Through these groups, Jim formed lifelong friendships and contributed meaningfully to the communities he loved.
Jim and Isabel shared 52 years of marriage before Isabel’s passing in 2010. Though her loss deeply affected him, Jim continued to live at the Bearspaw acreage and later found companionship and joy with Sheila Betke, with whom he shared many happy moments in his later years.
Jim will be lovingly remembered by his sister, Grace Murdoch, his children, James R. (Carol) McPherson, Karen (Glenn) McCue, Roger (Cecilia) McPherson, and Greg (Lisa) McPherson; his grandchildren, Janine McCue, Matthew (Nadine) McCue, Nicole (Colton) Strand, Carter McPherson, Claire McPherson, and Ashley McPherson; and his great-grandchildren, Braeden, Kinley, Tyler, Bryson, and Alara. He was a devoted husband, proud father and grandfather, and a steady, kind presence in the lives of those who knew him.
Funeral Services was held at McInnis & Holloway (Cochrane, 369 Railway Street, Cochrane, AB), on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Graveside Service to followed at the Cochrane Cemetery (Range Rd 42, Cochrane, AB).
In living memory of James McPherson, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area
