Wily Jim Wyllie

In the autumn of 1939, the western sun shone down upon the peaceful harvest of the wheat fields about Saskatoon. There was no tranquility, however, for native-born son James K Wyllie who was compelled to take up arms and boldly march forth to protect our freedoms against the threat of Nazi aggression. By the Grace of God, he was fortunate to return to Canada, but not without having sacrificed an arm and suffering serious injury to a leg.

Undaunted, he joined the YMCA War Services as an Auxiliary Officer, moving on to become a Recreational Supervisor with Veterans Affairs in 1946 and then joining National Defence in 1949 to work in Stores. In 1954, he became the National Defence Employees Association Saskatchewan Provincial President, and National President the following year. He served on the Executive of the Royal Canadian Legion (Regina Branch) for six years becoming President in 1957.

A short, courteous, but very tough man he had a flair for showmanship, especially if he was standing behind a microphone. He enjoyed having a convention chair insist that he state his name when he attempted to address a group; at that point he would wave the stump of his left arm in the air and declare in his gravelly voice that he was "WYLLIE!"

In 1966, Brother Wyllie had the dubious distinction of being the shortest serving President of the Union of National Defence Employees -- vacating the post after about one day when he was confirmed as the Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. He died in office, seventeen years later, while still working with PSAC: a devoted man who served his fellow workers until the very end.