Allan McEACHERN

McEACHERN, Allan
ALLAN MCEACHERN (1926-2008) It is with gratitude for a life well-lived that his family announces the passing of Allan Davis McEachern on January 10, 2008. Predeceased by his wife of 44 years, Gloria, he is sur vived by his loving wife Madam Justice Mary Newbury, his daughters Jean Williams (Michael) and Joanne Evans (John), his grandchildren Bria, Stephen, Jenna, Laura, Rosalind and Ian, his brother Bruce, his sister Lillian McDonell, and many nieces and nephews. Allan was the grandson and son of pioneering BC families who instilled in him a love of 'God's country', the magnificent natural setting of British Columbia and an appreciation of his Scottish heritage. In his earlier school years he spent the winters in Penticton due to his asthma but later was able to stay in Vancouver and attend high school at Kitsilano and Lord Byng, where he made many lifelong friends. He spent his youth playing team sports (r ugby and football) and swimming in the waters of English Bay, where later in life he spent his leisure time 'crashing around the Bay' in his sailboats Skye I, II, and III. He also loved the mountains of western Canada and treasured the memory of a summer spent as fire lookout above Lake Louise. Allan attended UBC and completed his BA and Bachelor of Law degrees (l950). He practiced law at Russell & DuMoulin (now Fasken Martineau DuMoulin) in Vancouver for 28 years before his appointment as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of BC and later as Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of BC. Law was his passion. He loved the collegiality of the profession and firmly believed in the Shakespearean principle 'Strive mightily in court, but eat and drink as friends.' All those he befriended attest to his integrity, humility, energy, intelligence and sense of humour. He was a superlative mentor to many talented law students and took great pride in his establishment of the Inns of Court program. He was a progressive Chief Justice in that he initiated and encouraged the use of computers by all judges, set up an interactive webpage and created a Legal Compendium for the public to keep abreast of legal decisions. Many female lawyers and judges owe much to his efforts to open the profession to women. In addition to his profession, he co-founded the Kats Rugby Club and was actively involved with the BC Lions and the CFL for many years. More recently, he wished to acknowledge the important role UBC had contributed to his many successes in life, and accepted the Alumni Association's nomination to run as Chancellor. It was a position he held with great pride and dignity for almost 6 years. We are blessed for having known and loved this remarkable man. In keeping with Allan's wishes, there will be a reception held at a future date. He requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to establish a UBC Law Scholarship for a deser ving student so that he or she might have the opportunities Allan had.