Antonio Lamer

Right Honourable Antonio Lamer, P.C., C.C., C.D. (1933-2007) Former Chief Justice of Canada passed away peacefully at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, on November 24th, at age 74. Son of Antonio Lamer, Q.C. and Florence Storey, he will be sadly missed by his loving wife Daniele Tremblay-Lamer, his son Stephane (Yvonne Maringo), stepdaughter Melanie Berard (Guillermo Rodriguez), stepson Jean-Frederic Berard (Genevieve Bourbonnais), grandchildren Catherine, Stephanie, Anthony, Laurence, Alexandre and Emmanuel, his parents-in-law Marcellin and Laurette Tremblay, his sisters-in-law Louise and Ghislaine, his brothers-in-law Michel and Andre, as well as many friends. Born in Montreal, he was educated at College de Saint-Laurent and University of Montreal (LL.L.), called to the Bar of Quebec in 1957, practiced law, particularly with Mr. Philip Cutler and Mr. Jacques Bellemare, Q.C., was Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Montreal, and Lecturer in criminology, founder of the Defence Attorneys' Association of Quebec, National Chairman of the Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Bar Association, appointed to the Superior Court, December 19, 1969, elected Chairman of the Quebec Society of Criminology and member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Human Rights Foundation in June 1974, appointed Vice-Chairman of the Canadian Law Reform Commission in 1971 and Chairman thereof in April 1976, appointed to the Quebec Court of Appeal, March 17, 1978 and to the Supreme Court of Canada, March 28, 1980, appointed Chief Justice of Canada, July 1, 1990, was Chairman of the Canadian Judicial Council, Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Member of the Privy Council of Canada, Honorary Bencher, Lincoln's Inn, London, 1990, received the Order of Merit, University of Montreal, 1991, was Knight of Justice, Order of St. John, 1993, Honorary Colonel of the Governor General's Foot Guards and was made Companion of the Order of Canada in 2001. His remains will lie in repose at the Supreme Court of Canada on Wednesday, November 28th from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Those who wish to bid him farewell and offer their condolences may do so on this occasion or at the Centre funeraire Cote-des-Neiges, in Montreal (4525, chemin de la Cote-des-Neiges), on Thursday, November 29th from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday, November 30th from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The funeral service will be held on Friday November 30th at 1 p.m. at the Marie-Reine-du-Monde Cathedral in Montreal. Donations to either the Canadian Heart Foundation or the University of Ottawa Heart Institute would be appreciated. Arrangements in care of the Central Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry.