Bonnie Tough

BONNIE TOUGH September 19, 1951 - May 6, 2011 Bonnie died peacefully at home on May 6, 2011 after a 22 month battle with brain cancer. Much loved life partner, best friend and spouse of Connie Reeve, loving sister to Iona Tough, Peter Tough and Jim Tough (Lee Fielding) and stepdaughter to Edward Penny, beloved sister-in-law of Nancy and Steve Petersen and Alan Reeve and Lee-Ann Turner and wonderful aunt to Diana, Lauren and David. We will all miss her more than words can say. Bonnie will also be greatly missed by her many cousins, countless friends and her colleagues throughout the legal profession, especially those at the law firm she founded with Kathryn Podrebarac in 2005. Bonnie graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1976, clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada and obtained a Master of Laws from Oxford University. Bonnie practiced law for over 30 years, starting her career at Blake, Cassels & Graydon and ending it at Tough & Podrebarac. Bonnie also taught Insurance Law at Osgoode Hall Law School for several years and was a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada from 2007 to 2011. In September 2010, Bonnie was recognized by her peers for her skill as a lawyer, her professionalism and collegiality when she received the Ontario Bar Association's Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation. She was recently honoured by the Law Society of Upper Canada, which bestowed an Honourary Doctor of Laws on Bonnie on April 20th, citing her skill as an advocate, her high ethical standards and her contribution to the legal profession. Throughout her professional career, she was a trusted and respected lawyer and a valued mentor to younger lawyers. Although she worked hard, Bonnie lived a balanced life, and made time for her family and friends. She and Connie loved to travel and also spent many happy weekends together at their farm near Rob Roy hiking, biking, entertaining friends and family and relaxing. Shortly after her 50th birthday, Bonnie took up running and, over the course of the next several years, ran four half-marathons. After undergoing radiation and chemotherapy in 2009, Bonnie was determined to and did walk the Niagara Half Marathon, leading a group of astonished friends to the finish. Bonnie was an exceptional person - brilliant, curious, fun, generous, fair and kind. Among other things, Bonnie will be remembered by all for her indomitable spirit, her enthusiasm for life, her quick wit and her infectious smile. We are grateful to Dr. James Perry for providing Bonnie with the best available treatment, and for the kindness and compassion he demonstrated at each monthly appointment. We hope that he and his research team will soon succeed in finding new treatments for the glioblastoma that took Bonnie from us far too soon. We also extend our thanks to the team from the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, who enabled us to keep Bonnie at home for the last weeks of her life. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bonnie's memory may be made to the Sunnybrook Foundation, www.sunnybrook.ca/foundation; or to the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, www.tlcpc.org. In memoriam, donations made to Sunnybrook will be allocated to the Crolla Chair in Brain Tumour Research. A celebration of Bonnie's life will be held on Monday, May 16, 2011 at 3 p.m. at Koerner Hall at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, reception following. For information and condolences please visit www.etouch.ca