THE ADVOCATE 911
VOL. 79 PART 6 NOVEMBER 2021
“big-city firms” who all too often did not anticipate Fred’s massive preparedness
and expertise in the ensuing court proceedings, particularly confounded
by his mastery of the law of evidence (one of the subjects he read
at Wadham College under the guidance of Sir Rupert Cross). As his reputation
as a superbly skilled litigator grew, this led to frequent retainers, particularly
by ICBC, for high-level complex appellate work, one example of
which remains a leading case on costs (Moses v. Kim). During submissions
in that case, one of the appeal justices took umbrage, considering Fred’s
submissions as tantamount to the suggestion that their lordships did not
quite understand the requirements of the Negligence Act. Rather than back
down, as his lordship was expecting, Fred had to agree with his lordship
that, sadly, this was pretty much the case and then explained in detail why.
In later years, Fred was a partner with the firm of Thome Jespersen and
Hansford, and then, finally, Kaye Thome Toews & Hansford. In semi-
retirement and facing declining health, he accepted an appointment to the
BC Review Board, which reviews applications for release from treatment centres
by those detained for crimes committed while under a mental disability.
As a member of the bar, Fred took seriously his responsibilities to mentor
younger lawyers, which he delighted in, and in volunteering for the betterment
of the profession. He was a treat to have a file with, with his eight-page
letters and the world’s biggest barrister’s case. Fred served on a number of
Law Society bodies, including the Practice Standards Committee, and he
spent many hours as a practice advisor and mentor to other lawyers. He was
generous with his time. In 1999, he was appointed Queen’s Counsel.
Fred was a masterful musician, beginning with learning to play the family
Hammond organ with just a few formal lessons. To win the heart of a
young lady, his wife Laurel (a bass and tenor drummer with the Burnaby
Ladies Pipe Band), and to be welcomed by her family, he learned to play the
great highland bagpipe. Her family was astounded at how quickly he made
this instrument his own. As for the young lady, she was convinced he was
the love of her life—and she of his—and that remained for almost 50 years.
He loved playing the highland bagpipe and Scottish smallpipes, and his talents
soon expanded to writing original tunes for bagpipe. His innate musical
gifts provided many opportunities for international travel, for the
forging of deep and longstanding friendships and for providing a channel
for his musical creativity over the course of his life. He was a member of the
Triumph Street Pipe Band, the Abbotsford Police Pipe Band, the Delta Police
Pipe Band, the Prince George Regional Pipe Band, the Branch 83 Royal
Canadian Legion Pipe Band, the Branch 88 Maple Ridge Legion Pipe Band,
the Oxford Caledonian Pipes and Drums and finally as Pipe Major of the