OBITUARIES \
1966
1971
Dugald Ervine Christie, B.A., LL.B.
Mary Madden Casey, B.A., LL.B.
was killed tragically in a highway accident outside Sault Ste. Marie, O.N. on July 31, 2006 at the age of 65, while cycling to Ottawa in an effort to raise support for reform to the justice system. Born in New York City, he was the son of Ronald Victor Christie and Joyce Mary Ervine. He studied at Lower Canada College and later went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at McGill University. Law became his passion and in 1966 he earned his law degree at Dalhousie. After graduation he moved to Vancouver, B.C. and began a practice but in time he grew frustrated with his profession and decided to give up the “good life” and devoted his time and energy to fighting for the rights of the impoverished. He began offering free legal clinics at Salvation Army locations in B.C. and for a period of time even lived at the Salvation Army so he could get a sense of the challenges his clients faced. He founded the Western Canada Society to Access Justice in 1990, which today has 60 clinics with assistance from 1,000 lawyers. In 1998, he rode his bike from Vancouver, B.C. to Ottawa, O.N. and burned his barrister’s robes on the steps of the Supreme Court. He later rejoined the legal profession so he could practice law for the poor and two years later he spent 10 days fasting outside the Supreme Court in an effort to convince lawyers to do more pro bono work. He was a religious man as well as a skilled poet and avid gardener. In March 2007, he was posthumously awarded the Dalhousie Law School’s Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service. He is survived by two sons, Oliver and Guy and a daughter, Katie. He is also survived by his sister, Dr. Janet Christie-Seely.
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passed away on November 24, 2006 in Halifax at the age of 81. Born in Glace Bay, N.S. she was the daughter of the late Thomas J. and Hannah (MacIntyre) Casey. Mary graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with a B.A. and began a career in journalism while still a student, working at the Halifax Herald. She covered stories from across Nova Scotia, Canada and around the world and eventually became a public affairs producer for CBC, where she was also a frequent commentator. In the late 1960s she was director of Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University and returned to university to obtain her law degree from Dalhousie University in 1971, where she worked for several years in the Law School. In 1972 she ran for the House of Commons but was defeated but she did not let this dampen her interest in politics. In 1974 she was appointed to the National Parole Board where she worked for ten years in Ottawa, O.N. and Moncton, N.B. In 1984 she retired from the Parole Board as chairman of the appeal division. She served on the Boards for both the Children’s Aid Society and St. Joseph’s Orphanage and was also involved with the St. Leonard’s Society and The Elizabeth Fry Society. She was also instrumental in setting up the first halfway house for released prisoners. She was a voracious reader, devout New York Yankees fan and committed Liberal. Besides her parents she was predeceased by her sisters, Catherine Clancy, Sara Walsh, Jessy Clancy; her brothers, Patrick Casey, and Michael Francis in infancy. She is survived by her sister, Dr. Joan, New York, N.Y.; brothers and sisters-in-law, Dr. Thomas (Margaret), Halifax; James (Agnes), Ladner, B.C.; sister-in-law, Margaret Timmons
Hearsay 2007 Dalhousie Law School
Casey, Venice, Florida. She is also survived by two nieces, four nephews and a grandniece.
1972 Robert William Newman, B.A, LL.B.
passed away peacefully January 7, 2007 in QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax at the age of 58, surrounded by his family. Born in Halifax, N.S. he was the son of Beulah Irene (Francis) Newman and the late Samuel Newman. He is survived by his mother, brothers and sisters, Stephen (Judy) Newman, Timberlea; Linda (Guy) Bernier, Bridgewater; Paul (Audra) Newman, Sackville; Sharon (Daniel) Briand, Sackville; Kathy (Mark) Hartlen, Bedford, as well as 14 nieces and nephews and eight great grand-nieces and nephews. He earned Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from Dalhousie University and traveled to England as a board member with Ward Five Community Centre. He took pleasure in genealogy, researching the Francis and Newman family trees and to many in the Sackville area, he was known as “Uncle Bobby”.
1974 Dr. Hobartson Augustus James “Gus” Wedderburn B.A., B.Ed., M.A., LL.B.,
passed away at the age of 77 on February 24, 2007, in QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, he was an uncommon man. He was a respected educator earning his degree in Education from Mount Allison University, N.B. in 1957. He embarked on a second career in the early 70s, earning his Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie in 1974 and was known for his benevolence, eternal optimism, and determination to help those who needed him most. Most recently, he received a Doctor of Law Honoris Causa
from his alma mater, Mount Allison University. He spent his life as a champion for human rights, social justice and cultural diversity. He was passionate about improving opportunities for young people, and ethnic and religious minorities throughout Nova Scotia. His achievements are too numerous to account but among those most notable include his Canadian Centennial Medal of Honour and presentation of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal from the Province of Nova Scotia. He was founder of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, President and Founder of the Black Education Association and Founding Director of the Black Cultural Society of Nova Scotia. He was also a member of the Universal Craftsman Council of Engineers Neptune No. 71. A spiritual man, he was a member of St. John’s Anglican Church, Fairview, for over 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; daughter, Diane; son, John Augustus (Jill Laing); granddaughters, Sophia and Eve; sister, Grace, Cleveland, U.S.A. He was predeceased by his sister, Rosemary Brown.
1977 H.F. (Boe) MacIntyre, Q.C., B.Sc., LL.B., M.Math passed away on August
28, 2006 at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital. Born in Glace Bay, he was the son of the late Michael and Dorothy (MacMillan) MacIntyre. He graduated from St. Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He then attended the University of Waterloo on a National Research Council of Canada Scholarship and a Teaching Fellowship, graduating with a Master of Mathematics degree. He became a member of the faculty of mathematics at St. Francis Xavier University where he taught business, statistics and computer programming. He then