John CLAXTON

John Claxton
January 13, 1927 - October 12, 2014
Died peacefully at the Montreal General Hospital on October 12, 2014. John was a proud and loving father to David Claxton (Amy Claxton) and Edward (Ted) Claxton and grandfather to Benjamin, Christina, James, Stephanie and Nicholas. John is survived by his wife Ann Luke, his sister Helen (Boo) Leslie and his former wife Patricia Carson and was predeceased by his brother David. Since the death of Boo's husband Edward (Ted) Leslie in the 1970's and until his death, John was a wise advisor and support to Boo and her children Andrew Leslie (Karen Waterman), Helen (Cricket) Leslie (Greg MacDonald), Brooke Leslie (Shelly Taylor) and Jennifer Leslie (Niall Quaid) and their children. Over his last decades, John also became very close to Ann's children Stephen Marien, Jennifer Marien (Eric Helstom), Charles Marien (Katherine Sutherland) and Robin Marien, as well as their children. John was born on January 13, 1927 in Montreal, Quebec as the first child to Brooke Claxton and Helen Galt Savage. After an early education at Lower Canada College and Westmount High School and a brief period in the Canadian army in 1945, John received a Bachelor of Civil Laws degree at McGill University, and began a lifetime career in the private practice of law in Montreal. He worked first at Dixon, Sénécal, where he became a partner and developed a very active practice in securities law. Upon the dissolution of that firm he moved to what became Lafleur, Brown, de Grandpré (now Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP), where he remained for the rest of his active career. John was a consummate lawyer who concentrated for many years on corporate finance and securities law, but also acted on numerous mergers and acquisitions and significant litigation. He enjoyed the intellectual challenge of the law, but also had a striking ability to go beyond complex questions of law to achieve practical business solutions for his clients. He was a senior business adviser and director of numerous Canadian and multinational corporations. One highlight of his legal career was his role as counsel for the Penn Central Corporation during the period of its insolvency, during which he assisted the courts in forging many new principles of Canadian law. Toward the end of his active career, John retrained himself as an academic, and published several books and numerous scholarly articles on security on property in Quebec and the Quebec law of trusts, including the leading Studies on the Quebec Law of Trusts. He was a multifaceted person who will be remembered for his energy, keen interest in the world around him, incisive mind, and as a trusted friend and relative. Following his father's lead, for many years he was active in the federal Liberal party and the political life of Quebec and Canada. Notably, he was a campaign adviser to his father Brooke in his riding in central Montreal, and subsequently was the first campaign manager and a strong supporter of the Right Honourable John N. Turner. In addition to a very active legal practice, he was an avid skier and tennis player, longstanding member (and sometimes director) of the University Club of Montreal, the Red Birds Ski Club and the Hillside Tennis Club, a founder of the Ski Hawks Ski Club, and a keen salmon fisherman at a small club on the Corneil river, Quebec. He will probably be best remembered by his family and friends for his love and commitment to the extended Savage family community at Lac Wonish, near Lac-des-Seize-Iles, Quebec, where he gardened, cross-country skied, and was otherwise active in the outdoors. In that setting he cleared trails, built a tennis court, did astonishing things in woodworking, rebuilt a century-old country house and built other houses. His family remembers and appreciates that his efforts have brought peace and goodwill amongst cousins both in his own generation and those following him. His family wishes to thank the staff of the trauma ward of the Montreal General Hospital for their compassion and attention during his final illness. A memorial service will be held at the Chapel of the Mount Royal Funeral Complex, Mount Royal Cemetery, 1297 Chemin de la Forêt, Outremont, Québec at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2014. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Faculty of Law of McGill University to the benefit of the John B. Claxton scholarship fund.