Alison J. Youngman

ALISON J. YOUNGMAN Alison Youngman died peacefully at home on March 8, 2009 concluding a short illness with the dignity, grace and good humour that had defined her life as a lawyer, volunteer and champion of women's leadership. Born May 23, 1948 in London, England, Alison left home in her late teens with no job, no plans except to see the world and no resources except $200. At 19 she got off a ship in Montreal, where she joined Stikeman Elliott as a paralegal in 1972. She was about to quit and seek some other focus for her talents when her mentor, Fraser Elliott, challenged her to go to law school - and sponsored her studies at Osgoode Hall. She graduated in 1984, the same year she became a mother, and returned to the firm. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1986, the year her second child was born. One of the first women at the firm to balance career and motherhood, she later was instrumental in developing Stikeman Elliott's first policy on maternity leave. A senior partner with the firm, Alison embodied entrepreneurial spirit, launching Stikeman Elliott's first marketing group and promoting the adoption of new technologies before it was fashionable to do so. She became a self-taught expert on technology law, creating a nationally recognized Technology and Outsourcing group within the firm. Meanwhile, she published widely and served her profession (for example, by co-chairing the American Bar Association Negotiated Acquisitions Committee Task Force on Joint Ventures). Despite her many commitments, she made time to mentor young lawyers, who looked to her as a role model. For Alison, the good life encompassed community action. In 2004 she was named a Woman of Distinction by the YWCA of Metropolitan Toronto. The honour reflected her steadfast volunteer leadership. She was President of the Canadian arm of the International Women's Forum (IWF), a global organization that advances women's leadership. She was proud to serve on the global board of directors of the IWF Leadership Foundation and last year was co-recipient of IWF's Sustainable Leadership Award. She chaired the national board of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) and spearheaded Stikeman Elliott's participation and contributions to the annual CBCF-CIBC Run for the Cure. Of her volunteering and community involvement, she once said, "Volunteering is the gift that keeps growing." Alison's friends will remember her unflagging delight in camaraderie and laughter. Stricken with lung cancer, she asked for just two things: stories and jokes. She also got a bonus: a stream of outrageous, baldness-concealing hats from IWF colleagues in Calgary - one of which she modelled in the halls of Princess Margaret (with matching boa) to the delight of nurses and patients. In her last hours she was still smiling at the loved ones who surrounded her. A leader to the end, she was showing us all how to say good-bye with courage and class and immense dignity. Alison is survived by her two sons Chris and Phil Reineck, by her sister, Jacky Hines and brothers Michael Harrington and Kevin Harrington and by her cousin, Shirley Youngman. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation at 375 University Ave., Toronto, Ont. M5G 2J5. There will be a memorial service at the WINTER GARDEN THEATRE, 189 Yonge St., on Friday, March 13 at 10 a.m.