The Beachcombers Star Pat John Has Died Aged 69

John was a teenager when he landed the role of Jesse Jim on the long-running CBC program and went on to appear in hundreds of episodes, including the 2002 TV movie “The New Beachcombers.” He died on Wednesday aged 69. John had struggled with health in recent years, but at the time of his death he was sitting outdoors “looking calmer than he has in a long time,” his co-star Jackson Davis wrote in an emotional Facebook post. “He was funny, kind, and even though he didn’t get the credit he should have, he was also a very good actor,” added Davis, who played RCMP officer John Constable in the series. “He brought the biggest laugh ever, and it was my goal in life to make him laugh, just to hear it. Somehow when PJ laughed, the world was okay again.” John was a member of the Shíshálh First Nation and became one of the first Indigenous actors to play a contemporary character on Canadian television. As Jim, he starred as the young business partner of Nick Adonidas, the main character of “The Beachcombers” played by Bruno Gerussi. The series was loved by many Canadians and also gained an international audience during its 18-year run, which ended in 1990. Decades after the series ended, Davis said he stayed in touch with John on an almost weekly basis until his death. “I’m so glad we always ended our conversations with ‘Love you, PJ’ and ‘Love you, Jackson,’” she wrote. With files from The Canadian Press