Robert Lindsey Shirriff

1931 - 2021

ROBERT LINDSEY SHIRRIFF, Q.C. January 11, 1931 - April 11, 2021 Robert passed peacefully at his home surrounded by family. He and his brother, John (deceased), were the only children of Quentin and Nora Shirriff of Toronto. Robert is survived by his beloved wife, Hildegard. His children, Adam (Hyonsuk), Jason (Lisa), Ford, Paul, Susan (Michel) and Marjorie (Hershel) will miss him dearly, as will grandchildren, Victoria, Ashley, David, Hanne and sister-in-law, Sheila Shirriff. Robert graduated from the University of Toronto Schools, the University of Toronto, and the University of Toronto Law School, where he was one of the first students at the new academic law school founded by the esteemed Bora Laskin and Dean Cecil Wright. He joined the Toronto law firm, Fasken, Robertson, Aitcheson, Pickup & Calvin as one of nineteen lawyers in 1960. The firm, now known as Fasken, has over 700 lawyers across Canada and in the UK and South Africa. Robert was a leader at Fasken, serving as Chair of the firm from 1994 to 1999. Indicative of his mentoring skills and ability to connect with young people, he was Chair of the Students Committee when he was in his 60s. His last day in the office was in December 2019. He was a meticulous and proud drafter of agreements, always searching for the precise word and striving to avoid ambiguity of interpretation. He also brought an academic approach to the practice of corporate law as well as to his position as a commissioner of the Ontario Securities Commission. In addition, he was a founder of the respected Business Law Reports. Robert was the lead partner for international mining clients such as RTZ and De Beers and co-founder of the Fasken Global Mining Practice. Fasken colleagues recall him leading the annual team hike up Cape Town's Table Mountain. Both patrician and elegant, Robert at the same time was warm, irreverent and supportive. In his early years his passion belonged to the theatre, as an actor with the Hart House theatre and with the CBC. His contemporary Donald Sutherland described Robert as one of the best talents he had encountered. Robert was conservative in manner while progressive socially and intellectually, a lover of literature, crime thrillers and long jaunts through his beloved Rosedale. He will be dearly missed. A memorial and celebration of his life will be had later this fall and his family has asked that in lieu of flowers, he would greatly appreciate any and all support of the Hart House Theatre - https://harthouse.ca/join/donate.