James C. (Bud) Grist; Pugilist, Painter

James Charles (Bud) Grist, a pugilist in his early years and a painter in later life, has died. He was 83.

Grist was born in Vancouver, Canada, in 1912. He won several Golden Gloves boxing championships while living in Canada.

In 1950, he and his wife Ethel moved to Glendale, where they operated a real estate business. The couple retired to Ventura in 1966 to be closer to family.

For the next 15 years, the Grists lived in Ventura during the winter but would take off for British Columbia where Grist enjoyed fly-fishing. “He was not the kind of guy to sit in a rocking chair and say I wish I had done this or that,” said his son, William Grist. “He really enjoyed life. He had a lot of friends.”

After undergoing open heart surgery in the early 1980s, Grist was advised by his doctor to stop fly-fishing. “So he took up painting,” William Grist said. “He never took a lesson. It was kind of a surprise to all of us.”

In the years that followed, Grist’s paintings of horses and landscapes won several first-place awards at the Ventura County Fair and were displayed by local banks.

In addition to his wife of 60 years and his son, Grist is survived by grandsons Scott Grist of Ventura and Gregory Grist of San Jose, and brother Arthur of Galiano Island, B.C., Canada.

A remembrance will be held at the Father Serra Cross in Grant Park at 10 a.m. Saturday. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Ventura County chapter of the American Heart Assn., 1367 Del Norte Road, Camarillo 93010. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura.