Dr. James Moore Ricks III passed away peacefully in his sleep on the evening of October 25th at Graceview Residence in Victoria Vale, Nova Scotia. He is survived by his wife Frances, his children Amanda and James, his sister Victoria, and his granddaughter Nika.

Jim was born in Watertown, New York on December 7, 1942, but was raised on a cattle ranch in Inola, Oklahoma by his parents James and Honoria. Growing up, he demonstrated a natural proclivity towards academics. As a young man he was involved with 4H activities, The Future Farmers of America, theatrical work and most notably, speech and debate.  He was also a National Merit Scholar finalist. Jim did his undergraduate degree at the University of Oklahoma before doing his PhD work in clinical psychology at The University of Kansas. He met his wife, Frances, while doing an internship at a psychiatric hospital in Indiana and they were married on June 3, 1964, in Bloomington. He moved the family to Canada in 1970 to take a job with the Canadian government in the Ministry of Health and became a Canadian citizen. In 1976, he and his family moved to Victoria, British Columbia where he and his wife would spend the next 46 years. As a clinical psychologist in Victoria, established his private practice, Jim Ricks & Associates where he did consulting, training, group facilitation, as well as personal and family counselling. It was in Victoria that he also developed his penchant for academia and showmanship by hosting several radio and television shows that centered on the discussion of relevant areas of psychology to modern audiences. Most notable was the cable series 'Slices of Life' which was broadcast in Canada on the Life Channel in 1986, and the radio program 'Shrink Rap', which was broadcast on stations throughout North America in 1999.  Jim was a lover of poetry, art, theatre, family, world-travel, spiritual exploration, and music. Jim loved to play the tin whistle, ukulele, dulcimer and in his early 50's, he took it upon himself to learn the violin. As a fiddle player, he was a part of a folk band called 'Water in the Crawlspace.'  After retirement, he became interested in clown work, honing his craft under such greats as Avner Eisenberg and Christopher Bayes. He believed in bringing that playful work into underserved parts of the community with the hopes of bringing audiences light, levity and compassion. Jim was famous for being the consummate 'master of ceremonies. He loved to orate, whether it was to tell stories, crack jokes, recount an anecdote or host an event - and no event was too small. Jim was loved by family and friends for his tenacious intellect, his kind tenderness, and his playful spirit. He will not soon be forgotten.

A memorial event will be held for Jim in Victoria, BC at 3:00pm, April 11, 2025, at the Oak Bay United Church.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Middleton Funeral Home, 398 Main St., toll free: 1-855-825-3448. The online guestbook may be signed by visiting: www.middletonfuneralhome.com