CHARLEBOIS, Gilles André Michel
April 6, 1952 - November 26, 2012
Suddenly, on the morning of November 26, 2012, Gilles Charlebois passed away in the comfort of his home. Predeceased by his parents Earla and Gilbert, Gilles will be forever cherished and remembered by his devoted and loving children, David Demers and Marie-Hélène Charlebois, who were the loves of his life. He will also be forever remembered by Lucie Fortier, the mother of his children and his life-long friend. He also leaves behind his brothers, Paul and Jean, who were his close friends and confidants. Gilles was an extremely brilliant and talented individual. He started high school at the age of 10 and then attended the University of Ottawa to start his undergrad, which prepared him well for his chosen career as a lawyer. Gilles studied law at Queen's University, and articled at the offices of McMichael, Q.C., and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1975. He soon started and built a very successful criminal law practice in Ottawa. Gilles represented his clients vigorously in both official languages, and in Eastern and Northern Ontario as well as in the province of Quebec. He was lead defence counsel on many high profile cases. He argued his cases with passion and conviction, being tirelessly devoted to his clients' defence. Gilles was a well respected senior member of the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa. For many years, he was Head of the French section of the Law Society Bar Admission Course and a frequent lecturer at the Law Society. To quote some of his colleagues, Gilles was a true defence lawyer in every sense, extremely caring, and more importantly, a true gentleman. He always seemed to be smiling and obviously loved his calling. He was enjoying his semi- retirement and never intended to stop practising. With friends and colleagues, Gilles had a unique ability to connect with people of all walks of life. He was a great story teller with a quick witted sense of humour. Many of us knew him for his passion for cars and his Harley. Recently, Gillles started to enjoy more leisure time, by spending the winter months in Winterhaven, Florida, where he made many close friends. The family would like to acknowledge the outstanding care and support of Dr. Michel Lemay - Gilles' cardiologist and very close friend. They would also like to thank the compassionate care of his surgeons and staff at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He was a devoted father and friend to many and simply left us way too soon. He was adored and will be sorely missed. Funeral service will be held at Paroisse Notre-Dame-de- Lourdes 435 Montréal Road, Ottawa, Ontario,K1K0V2 on Saturday, December 1st, at 9:30 a.m. In remembrance, donations may be made to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
Kelly Funeral Home Orleans Chapel
2370 St. Joseph Blvd, Orleans, ON, K1C 1G1
613-837-2370
www.kellyfh.ca
Published in The Ottawa Citizen from November 29 to November 30, 2012
