Jaye John Kearley

Jaye John Kearley was taken from us way too soon, in an unexpected tragedy on July 23rd, 2020. His loss is felt deeply by his friends, family, and community.

Jaye’s hard-working and adventurous life began on February 6, 1958. His focus, meticulousness, and strong will were clear from a young age, and he skipped ahead in school. Jaye got his lifelong love of learning from his mother, a former Royal Canadian Air Force air traffic controller, and his strong leadership skills from his father, a retired RCAF fire chief. Following in their footsteps, Jaye became the first in his family to earn admission to Royal Roads University as an officer cadet. Just like in school, he advanced quickly and achieved the rank of Major by age 30.

Jaye’s passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) carried forward into the next chapters of his life, where he worked as an aerospace engineer at Rockwell Collins and Boeing on guidance systems for many types of aircraft before retiring to fulfill his life-long dream of becoming a cowboy. He and his beloved wife, Diana, moved to Hart Lake Ranch in 2007, where Jaye was the happiest he had ever been. His joy was felt by anyone who joined him pushing cattle, working on mechanical projects, sharing a beer, or watching his favourite Western movies. No visit with Jaye was complete without being regaled by his countless (and often gleefully exaggerated) stories.

Jaye was predeceased by his mother and father, Margie Freda (James) Kearley and Jack Kearley, and his younger sister Diana Kearley. He is survived by his cherished wife Diana (Baetz) Kearley, his son David Kearley and future daughter-in-law Pam, his daughter Kristina Kearley, his sister Kim Haynes and brother-in-law Gary Haynes, his brother-in-law Peter Baetz, as well as his niece, nephews, and extended young family members.

Jaye’s family thanks the Big Lake community for the kind outpouring of love and support. A small memorial service will be held in the fall, limited by safety protocols. If you would like to see a video of the service, please contact Jaye’s family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the RCAF Trust to help young air cadets pursue their love of aerospace and flight. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/royal-canadian-air-force-association-trust/