Obituaries

With sadness, we announce that Sadie Jimmy passed away at the age of 79 on February 6, 2025 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Sadie was an Anishnaabe Kwe born on Kinistin Saulteaux Nation in 1945. She later joined Thunderchild First Nation when she married.

Sadie was fiercely independent. The youngest of five daughters, and orphaned before ten years old, she survived tuberculosis after spending many years at the Fort Qu’Appelle Indian Hospital. After she recovered from tuberculosis, she was sent to the Muscowequan Indian Residential School, where she spent a few more years until she ran away in search of at least one of her older sisters. After miraculously reconnecting with all of them within a couple of years, Sadie trained as both a cook and a seamstress.

Sadie married James George Jimmy in 1966. Sadie and James George’s son Elwood was born in 1975. After a marriage separation in the 1980’s, Sadie moved from Thunderchild to Regina, where she worked as a cook and a single mother. One of her first jobs in Regina was working at the cafeteria at the RCMP national training academy. This was a profoundly negative life and work experience because of racial and gendered harassment she endured by the staff and recruits at that time— one which would make her leave the position. But it also was transformative, as it made her a staunch and vocal advocate for Indigenous people in the workplace for the rest of her life.

Sadie was passionate about cooking and loved her last job working as a cook at the (now former) Sears Catalogue warehouse cafeteria in Regina the last 15 years of her career. Her working life was cut short when she was the victim of a vehicular hit and run that caused many short and long-term injuries.

Apart from Regina, Sadie lived in many places across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario in her life. After retirement, she was part of her son’s career in the arts, attending and participating in many events in the communities he worked in, and often providing production support for those events, through cooking, sewing, and contributing to community stories and conversations. Through this, she made many friends and connections with people in the arts community.

Sadie was predeceased by her parents Nugazio and Frederick; her sisters Flossie, Mary, Julie, and Freda; and husband James George.

Sadie is survived by her son Elwood, many nieces and nephews, and long-time friends. In her final years, when she and Elwood spoke on the phone several times a week, she frequently and fondly talked about special nephews Terry and Perry, special friends Billy Jo and Ray, Pat, Mary, Sharon, and Sandra. Nephew Terry was warmly in her thoughts and words the last few days of her life. In the arts, her special supporters and friends were Taqralik, Leslie, Rebecca, Alexandra, Lisa, Lori, and others.

In addition to the arts community friends already mentioned, her son would like to acknowledge friends Carle, Donna, Rosina, Tannis, Vanessa, Jo and Kai for their support and care during this difficult time. Each has contributed something immensely healing in this time of grief. He would also like to acknowledge his past and current employers for their support and acknowledgement that Sadie’s lived experience has always been one of the guiding principles in the work that he does. And finally, he would like to thank the many other friends and kind people who have been so supportive during this time. That support is not overlooked, nor will it be forgotten.

Apart from her love of reading, completing crossword puzzles, and playing bingo, Sadie loved cats. She profoundly mourned the loss of cats Freda (named after her closest sister) and Telly in her later years. They were her beloved companions when they were alive. In memory of Sadie, her son requests any contributions one would like to make, be made to the cat rescue charity of your choice. Alternatively, contributions to a charity that supports residential school survivors could be made in her name, as Sadie was both an Indian hospital and Indian residential school survivor, and her life was profoundly and adversely affected by those experiences.

A Celebration of Life will be held in both Toronto, Ontario and Regina, Saskatchewan at later dates in the Spring of 2025.