JANUARY 13, 1933 – JANUARY 29, 2022
Barry Donald Brown Q.C. passed away on Saturday, January 29, 2022 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital.
Barry was born in St. Marys, Ontario on January 13, 1933 to parents Madeleine and Clifton Brown. He attended Central Public School and St. Marys and District Collegiate Institute, graduating with honours in 1951. During his school years, Barry was a multi-sports athlete, winning numerous awards including a trophy for leading scorer in the Stratford and District Basketball League and a medal as overall Senior Track and Field Champion at a Tri-School track meet.
Barry attended University of Toronto and Osgood Hall Law School where he graduated with first class honours in 1962. At law school, he served as Director of Athletics and was awarded the Hamilton Cassels trophy for outstanding contributions to athletics.
Called to the Bar in 1964, he practiced as a trial lawyer, arguing cases at all levels of the courts throughout the province, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He was a Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation and was appointed a Queens Counsel in 1975. He was a senior partner in the Toronto firm of Benson, Percival, Brown. Barry was a member of the County of York Law Association, serving as its President in 1987. He was also a member of the Advocates Society (past Director), the Canadian Bar Association, the International Association of Defence Counsel, and the Defence Research Institute (Past Vice President for Canada).
In 1979, he was reunited with his sweetheart from teenage years, Barbara (nee McTavish) and in 1984, they married. Barbara worked with Barry in his law practice until they retired together in 1996. They enjoyed many happy years together in retirement, dividing their time between their cottage on Redstone Lake and their winter home in Port Charlotte, Florida, and travelled extensively throughout the world.
Barry is survived by the love of his life, Barbara, brother Wayne, sons Chris Brown and Jim Green (Cindy), daughters Melinda Davidson, Fiona Williams, and step-daughters Karin Selles (Rick) and Leslie Fischer. Also surviving are his 12 grandchildren Kyle and Madison Brown, Ryan Davidson, Jody Wood (Ian), Jennifer McPhail (Greg), Allison McMillan (Patrick), Lindsay Garrett (Adam), Crystal Ann Williams, Claudia and Olivia Selles, and Jason and Shawn Lum, and seven great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his parents, his youngest son Shaun (1983), his sister and brother-in-law Betty and Bill Hare, and sister and brother-in-law Beverley and Tom Gibb. In accordance with Barry’s wishes, there will be no service. Cremation has taken place, with interment of ashes at St. Marys Cemetery with a private service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.
