CANER, George Colket, Jr. Age 87, of Chestnut Hill died on June 21, 2013 from complications of leukemia. He leaves two sisters, Emily Parkman of Cleveland, OH and Lila Mehlman of Brookline, two daughters, Grace Grierson Offen of Newtonville and Sarah Hamilton Gaylord of Wenham, and one son, Daniel Folger Caner of Coventry, Connecticut, as well as six grandchildren. His wife, Judith Ann (Brentlinger), died in 2009. An expert litigator, sportsman, author, and fierce competitor in all he did, George lived a full and fortunate life. He attended Dexter School in Brookline and St. Mark's School in Southborough, then fought in WWII as a forward observer for an artillery battery in the 95th Army division, during which he served as corporal and was awarded a bronze star. After graduating from Harvard College in 1946 and Harvard Law School in 1951, he practiced trial law as a partner of Ropes and Gray in a forty-year career that included several landmark victories, including the "Titicut Follies" case and defense of the Boston Athletic Association's control of the Boston Marathon. He was a trustee of the Southborough School and Brookline Savings Bank and a member of the Boston Athenaeum and Thursday Evening Club. He also wrote four books: Battery Adjust and How the Allies Won the War (II) - Barely (1945 and 2006), histories of his WWII and field battery experiences), the History of the Essex County Club 1893-1993 (1995) and Going the Distance (2001), an account of his legal trials. But his chief passions were fulfilled on the tennis court, golf course and ski slopes. As a member of The Country Club in Brookline, Essex County Club in Manchester, and Kittansett Club, he won (together with his father, Wimbledon Semi-Finalist Colket Caner) the New England Father and Son Tennis Championship in 1950, as well as numerous club tennis and golf championships. Yet he was perhaps most proud of his accomplishments as a skier. A pioneering and life-long skier at Stowe, Vermont, in the last twenty years of his life he raced as a member of the New England division of the US Masters, winning in 2009 all save one of the events of his class – the downhill, the super G, the GS, and the combined, finishing second only in the slalom. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, June 27th at 11 AM, at the Church of the Redeemer, 379 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. For more information or to leave online condolences, please visit www.duckett-waterman.com. Duckett-J.S. Waterman & Sons 781-235-4110

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Published by Boston Globe from Jun. 22 to Jun. 23, 2013.

Memories and Condolences
for GEORGE CANER

15 Entries

Peter-Henri Dragonas, MD

January 15, 2016

George C. Caner, consummate attorney following in succession from his father, Dr. Collet Caner, M.D. He dwelt equally well in his family circles , professional arenas, at the sidebar or as a very shrewd competitor on the golf course. Playing in tounaments on the North Shore or in Brookline he gave his all and won & lost with dignity. Reading the comments by his staff at Ropes & Gray, I discovered much more about this quiet renaissance personality. His life was one of contributions for "The Common Good" as I knew him. A model of humility and humanity lives through his family, clients, colleagues, staff, friends from all parts of his life and respect for his faith in the Almighty.

Peter-Henri Dragonas, MD

January 15, 2016

Donna Noonan

December 9, 2014

In 1992, I accepted a challenging assignment to be Mr. Caner's secretary at Ropes & Gray. The six years I worked with Mr. Caner has left an indelible memory. He was the most dedicated and fearless litigator -- and he always made me laugh!

January 9, 2014

May God bless you in this time of sorrow. I am so sorry to hear of Mr. Caner's passing. He was such an accomplished man but, in my humble opinion, his wonderful children are his greatest legacy. Condolences and warm regards,
Rita

Catherine Brigham

July 15, 2013

I will miss George. He was a good friend.

john spooner

June 29, 2013

Great man, very inspirational person making it to all those races, was with him at Comets camp last few years and he was host of thew Cock tail party and sang the Comets song for the coaches and racers ,RIP George

John Cullinane

June 28, 2013

I was sorry to learn that George had died. George seemed like someone that was going to live to 100 at least. In fact, I saw him on Easter Sunday and he looked so good I invited him to be my partner on opening day at the Club but he demurred. I will miss George. I liked him. He was an original.

Bill Dore

June 27, 2013

Enjoyed many good times with George on and around the golf links at Essex. A keen competitor with a delicious dry wit. One of the good guys.
With deep regret.

Bill and Arden Dore

June 26, 2013

I met George when we were both sent to train with the field artillery of the 95th Infantry Division in Indian Town Gap, Pennsylvania in early 1944. We spent the rest of the war together. He was a fiercely independent spirit then as he seems to have been for the rest of his life. He, Sam Singer and Lieutenant Voight formed the forward observer team for A Battery.His duties required him to be up front with the infantry. It was a dangerous job. His fellow enlisted man, Sam Singer, was killed.I respect George highly for the life he lived and send my condolences to Emily, Lila and his children. Richmond Mayo-Smith, Boston, MA.

June 25, 2013

Grace and Dan--

I'm thinking of you both at this time of loss, remembering with fondness your growing-up years near the Engel family.

With love and sympathy,
Diane Engel

Michael Rooney

June 25, 2013

Oh George we will all miss you, always being the first one out on the hill and the last one in at the end of the day. Even the energizer bunny, as we always called you, has to run out of power some day. You will stay in our hearts and we will make another run down Mansfield for you.

Kimberly Sweet

June 24, 2013

I was so saddened to learn that Mr. Caner passed away. Last week, I thought of him and was thinking about calling him, or dropping him a line, to see how he was doing.
A smile crosses my face as I remember his furrowed brow when he was thinking, or deeply interested in something. I did a lot of research for him on intriguing subjects such as petroglyphs that revealed early skiing, ‘gutta percha' and UK-US golf ball patent litigation in the early twentieth century, and what town the side of the Blue Hills was in that could be viewed from the Essex Country Club (on which he was writing a history). His eyes would brighten with delight when information he was seeking arrived.
After Mr. Caner retired, when he visited the firm he would deposit his leather briefcase and famous raincoat in the Library, but I didn't often see him. So sometimes I would leave a yellow sticky note on his briefcase saying “Hello Mr. Caner.” He in turn would add “Hello Kim. GCC” and leave it for me.
His visits to the LexisNexis and Westlaw weekly drop-in sessions were legendary, especially for the vendor representatives!
I surprised Mr. Caner one year with a birthday card and a little book (I think it was) on golf history. He had such a delightful, almost sheepish smile on his face when he thanked me for them. Another time I found him a nifty history on the Boston Marathon, which he loved.
George Caner had such a passion for detail and getting things right. I loved that, and him.

June 24, 2013

It was a privilege to have worked for Mr. Caner at Ropes & Gray for over 15 yrs.

As a lawyer, Mr. Caner was a tenacious finder of fact, unafraid to develop the evidence and stand his ground.

Long before the term was in vogue, he was and remained a life-long learner, cultivating studious habits he acquired early on in school.

The word retirement was not in George Caner's vocabulary and he never retired from his own dogged pursuit of excellence. He wrote two books and one WWII memoir. His astonishing recall and ability to reconstruct dates, times, places and military campaigns in his WWII memoir was mind-boggling. He still had the original letters he wrote home during the war. A Mass. judge once compared Mr. Caner's trial case memoir to that of Louis Nizer. His Essex County Club history is the gold standard for works of its genre.

Mr. Caner's love of skiing was in a class all its own. Some people ski down mountains; Mr. Caner flew down mountains on skis.

His love of his family and dedication to their well-being ran deep. A unique and colorful force of nature, Mr. Caner will be remembered and missed not only by me but by all who were blessed to know him.

Rose M. Senatore, Retired Secretary R&G

Dave Kittredge

June 23, 2013

George was a true sportsman and inspiration to us all. His competitive spirit and positive attitude on and off the ski slopes will live on. I will surely miss him.

New England Masters Crotched Mt Slalom 2008

Stacey Weston

June 23, 2013

George was always an inspiration to everyone on the hill. His remarkable spirit and absolute determination are legendary in our ski racing circle. May you celebrate a life well lived and cherish the memories of George forever.

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