Michael DAVIES

DAVIES, Michael

Michael Bruce Cook Davies passed away peacefully early Sunday morning, in Toronto, after a short fight with leukemia at age 75. Born to the late Robert E. C. and Nancy L. Davies, on Aug. 8, 1939, in Berwyn, Alberta. Loving father to Robert W. C. (Sabrina nee Hallier) and London E. (Juan A. Abril), a caring brother to Lee Stamp (Stephen Welch) and an adoring grandfather to Claudia, Ellery, Beatrice and Lucas. Dear uncle to Geoffrey, Jennifer, David and Linnea Stamp.

Michael was Principal of Davies & Co., which was engaged in M&A advisory and investment banking from 2002. Previously, he joined RBC Dominion Securities (now RBC Capital Markets) in 1986 after spending a number of years in the securities industry, latterly as a member of the Oil & Gas Group of Morgan Stanley in New York. Michael's prior experience also included serving as Chief Financial Officer of the Polar Gas Project, a large Arctic natural gas pipeline project. He headed RBC Dominion Securities' M&A Group from its formation in 1986 to 1996 and acted as the firm's senior M&A advisor until 2002. Earlier in his career, he held an investment banking position at McLeod, Young, Weir and commercial banking positions at Citibank and The Mercantile Bank of Canada. During his professional career, Michael served as a Director of various businesses including Keyera Facilities Income Fund, Echoex Energy, Cadent Energy Fund, the successor to RBC Capital Partners Energy Fund and EnerTech Capital Fund.

Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and went on to receive a law degree from UBC Law School.

He served on the Board of Directors/Advisors for the Council for Canadian-American Relations, the Thomas Enders Endowment, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, the Hincks-Dellcrest Children's Centre, the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He was a member of the Toronto Golf Club, The Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto, and the Metropolitan Club (New York).

A member of the Alberta Junior Ski Team as a teenager, Michael was an avid skier, cyclist, and overall bon vivant who loved people. He loved to travel and also enjoyed golfing and fishing. His love of life made him a joy to be with, and he will be missed by not only his family, but also by the many people whose lives he touched over the years. His primary residence in Banff, Alberta was a special place where friends and family experienced his amazing generosity and flair for entertaining. Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, New York, London and, in particular, Dorset, England, where he enjoyed annual shooting trips with friends, were places dear to his heart where he treasured his many friendships. After miraculously surviving serious heart surgery in 2011, Michael became even more devoted to his family and those around him, appreciating every waking moment as if it was a special gift.

A funeral service will be held at GRACE CHURCH ON-THE-HILL, 300 Lonsdale Rd, Toronto, on Friday, February 27, at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Michael's memory to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation (www.thepmcf.ca) or the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (www.uhn.ca/PMCC) where Michael received wonderful care, for which his family is most grateful.