Jim Denham

The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours

The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause.

For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.
- Leo Marks

From Jim

A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: the salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his suffering in the right way - an honourable way - in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfilment.
 - V. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Funeral Link

See the funeral via live steam at the link below on 10th on April 2026, 3pm AEST.

It will be recorded and viewable afterwards if you miss it.

Gallery

Memory wall

April 14, 2026

I had the great privilege of working with Jim at CMN in the late eighties/early nineties & again on my return to Australia from 2003 until his retirement.
In all that time I never heard Jim say a bad word about anyone. The patients absolutely adored him & felt safe in his care. His genuine kindness & expertise brought comfort to so many.
Jim & his family certainly didn't deserve what life dealt them in his final years, yet his kind & beautiful spirit remained - reflected in his eyes when he flashed you a smile.
Jim always was & remained a gentle man & a gentleman & the world was a better place because of him.
My sincere condolences to Liz & all his family.
Rest in peace Jim.

Tracy Scott

April 11, 2026

I would like to express my gratitude to Jim’s family (Liz, Chris and Anthony) for organising a celebration of his life a few years ago. This was a wonderful, loving and brave gesture, giving friends and colleagues the opportunity to share their memories of Jim, along with tributes and photos, while he could still enjoy them. I’m sure that gave much joy and solace to us all.

Allison Steigler

April 10, 2026

Even though it is almost 20 years since I left Newcastle, my memories of Jim remain fresh. Perhaps one of his greatest qualities in professional life was his respect for other people's skills and what they could bring to a team. I feel privileged to have had a part in Jim's work on early detection of prostate cancer and related community education we worked on. He was generous, supportive, dedicated, and funny too.
My deepest respect, love, and condolences to Liz and the family.
Irena Madjar
(former Professor of Nursing, University of Newcastle)

Irena Madjar

April 10, 2026

Some old family photos.

Alec Liddell

April 10, 2026

Jim treated me successfully for throat cancer in 1983. At his request, I sent him a Christmas card every year from then on, as he liked to know how his patients were getting on, even after his retirement. This is the measure of the man, taking such a personal interest in those he treated. I will be ever grateful to him for saving my life. My deepest sympathies are with Liz and the rest of his family.

Pam Rumfitt

April 10, 2026

From the moment I met Jim I knew we would get along well. As the PR Manager at CMN it would always be lovely when Jim would pop up to my office - have a cup of tea, reminisce about some of our favourite places in England, have a few laughs and then work out a PR piece. To this day I feel so privileged that he shared so much with me about his family and career so I could write the Hunter Lifestyle Magazine article - I will always cherish that time. He was such a kind, genuine and funny man. My heartfelt condolences to you all. Helen

Helen Ellis

Life Celebration

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