A RESPECTED Inverclyde sporting stalwart has passed away – just five weeks after  the death of his beloved wife and partner of more than six decades.

Renowned badminton coach James ‘Jimmy’ Owens BEM spent more than 60 years nurturing thousands of young players.

He died on February 11 at the age of 91 – just five weeks after wife Jean. They had been together for 62 years.

Greenock man Jimmy had a colourful life which included in his latter years carrying the Queen’s Baton through Ravenscraig Stadium in 2014 en route to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and making history the following year when he and athletics coach daughter Janice Hendrie received a British Empire Medal at the same time.

He started coaching in 1952 and retired in 2014 aged 89.

Janice said: “It has been comforting and uplifting for the family to hear from so many of his past players and their parents that they really appreciated the integrity, honesty and support they received from dad’s coaching and how they continue to hold him in high esteem.

“He was displaying what is now considered methods of good practice in coaching long before this phrase was concocted.

“Dad got on with everyone, he never stood on a high pedestal, he responded to being called Jimmy from even the youngest members of the club and no task was too menial for him.”

As well as his BEM, Jimmy won the Inverclyde sports council ‘service to sport’ award at their Sports Personality Awards in 1996.

In 2003 he was presented with the Derek Roarity Quaich by Scottish Badminton in recognition of his dedication to the game nationally and in particular to the West of Scotland where he held position of treasurer for over 15 years.

For a quarter of a century, he also organised and refereed many senior and junior tournaments as well as being a manager and taking teams down south to play in the English Counties Championships.

He started out with St Patrick’s Youth Club, St Columba’s FP’s and Gourock Badminton Club then Columban Badminton Club, and more recently with Inverclyde Junior Badminton Club.

In his younger years, Jimmy enjoyed scouting and was awarded the King’s Scout Award and he was also a keen swimmer and played a variety of sports including football and table tennis.

Born on June 4, 1925, he was the youngest child of Jim and Meg Owens and brother to Peggy. Jimmy grew up in Lyle Street and was a messenger boy for the Air Raid Wardens and went out on his bike during the Blitz.

At 17 after finishing school, he enlisted for the armed forces and in March 1944 joined the Royal Engineers.

Jimmy spent his 19th birthday on board a plane waiting for D-Day to commence.

The operation was postponed until the following day when the paratrooper jumped into France to clear areas for plane landings.

During his time there he suffered serious leg injuries and permanent loss of hearing in his right ear and was still recovering on VE Day.

But determined Jimmy worked hard to recover and rejoined his squadron in Malaysia before moving after the end of WW2 to the Middle East.

He returned to civilian life in 1947 at the age of 22.

Jimmy, who passed away peacefully at the Larkfield Unit, was the father of Janice, Claire, Stephen and Pauline, father-in-law of Lynne and Dougie, grandfather of Neil, Erin and Cora and a brother-in-law and uncle.