930 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 79 PART 6 NOVEMBER 2021
developed. For reasons that will become apparent, this approach suited
Julie just fine.
Julie was a strong student from the get-go. Her academic excellence carried
on through high school at North Dundas District High in Chesterville.
It is an unverified rumour that she won all the awards. It is reported that in
grades 8 and 13, she was the gold medal winner and valedictorian. Undoubtedly,
her academic success had something to do with her affinity for one of
the rare subjects in which students can potentially obtain a mark of onehundred
per cent and yet few dare to tread: mathematics.
Despite her love of math, Julie had an active social life and was well
liked. She was involved in various sports, including basketball and baseball,
the latter of which Bob coached and therefore insisted that each of his
daughters play.
Julie was “a laid-back keener” who managed to balance hard work with
having fun. She was always very driven and successful, yet she maintained
her humility. By the end of high school, she was president of the student
council, yearbook editor and (as noted) class valedictorian. Through some
early feat of advocacy, she managed to wrangle a European exchange out of
grade 12, fast-tracking her academic program to do so. The result: an unsuspecting
French student billeted with the Lambs in Mountain for three
months and, in exchange, Julie spent two months “studying” in Marseille
and another month in Bretagne.
Julie spent her summers working as a lifeguard and teaching swimming
lessons at the local pool. An average summer would see 50 children come
and go—a big splash in a small town. Summers also included family vacations,
including trips to Europe, impromptu drives for dinner across the border
and spontaneous trips to watch the Expos or, occasionally, the Red Sox
play a home game. Winters were spent together skiing at Mont-Tremblant,
Saint-Sauveur or in Vermont.
Julie loved math so much that, in 1990, she completed a bachelor of
mathematics degree at the University of Waterloo. She was also a don while
in residence and an active participant in intramural clubs. She then
attended the University of Toronto for her bachelor of laws degree, graduating
in 1993.
It is reported that Julie had a hard time letting go of math. During law
school, she eagerly awaited the delivery of each edition of the Waterloo
Math Newsletter. But, whether she liked it or not, it was clear from early on
that law was likely in her future. Bob always suspected Julie would follow
in his footsteps as a lawyer, but he also predicted she would someday
become a judge. Lawyering was just something that fit with her personality: