Father James Wayne Livingstone left us on Saturday, February 7, 2026. He passed away after spending 17 months in Memory Care at Grand Living at Tower Place in West Des Moines.
Jim was born on May 2, 1939, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Throughout his life, he considered both Canada and the United States home, but his Canadian roots ran deep.
From being a monk and high school teacher to working in a halfway house and eventually being ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada and later the Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco, Jim dedicated his life to helping others and serving God.
However, it was his family that truly filled his heart with joy. He married Virginia (Ginny) in 1972 and quickly realized she was the one he wanted to share his life with. They welcomed their daughter, Rebecca, in 1975. In 1981, they moved to the U. S. following Jim’s career through parishes in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2003, Jim made history by becoming the first married priest in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. After retiring in 2011, Jim and Ginny settled in Des Moines, Iowa to be near their daughter. Not one to slow down during retirement, Jim served as a priest at St. Augustin’s in Des Moines for nearly ten years.
Jim lived a good life and made a positive impact while he was here; he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his devoted wife Virginia; their daughter Rebecca (Matt Reiter); brother-in-law Douglas Baldwin (Margaret and family), along with cousin Patricia French (and family).
A visitation is scheduled for Friday, February 13 from 4-5pm followed by a vigil service at 5pm at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home located at 8201 Hickman Rd., Urbandale. A Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, February 14 at 10am at St. Augustin’s Church situated at 545 42nd St., Des Moines. Interment will occur later in Canada.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or Mary’s Meals-two charities that were dear to Jim’s heart.
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