THE ADVOCATE 737
VOL. 80 PART 5 SEPTEMBER 2022
2022 in, of course, New Westminster. It was attended by a number of former
and current politicians, legal counsel from management and unions, and
numerous friends. It was a respectful occasion but also a time to share stories
about Stan, his work, his sense of humour and his family. He will be
missed by all.
The Honourable John Steeves
John Desmond Montgomery, Q.C.
John Montgomery died on May 13, 2022, one day shy
of his 94th birthday. Born in Vancouver, his parents
called him Desmond, a name he hated. He attended
Vernon Preparatory School, eventually becoming its
head boy. Since it only went to grade ten, John spent
his last two grades at West Vancouver High School.
He entered West Van High as Desmond and, after a
vigorous campaign to change the name, graduated as John. The University
of British Columbia awarded him a bachelor of arts degree in 1951 and an
LL.B. in 1952.
He articled to his father, Donald S. Montgomery, a distinguished Vancouver
solicitor and brother of Field Marshall Montgomery, the victor of El
Alamein. Called to the bar in May 1953, John joined his father’s firm,
Macrae, Montgomery, Hill and Cunningham, and began to establish himself
as a sophisticated corporate solicitor and estate lawyer, a practice he pursued
until he retired in 2000.
The Macrae, Montgomery firm merged with Spring, Roberts, Spring,
Brammall and Ladner in 1977. In 1982, most of the members of Macrae,
Montgomery joined Campney and Murphy, where John was practising
when he retired.
John was very active in bar affairs. He was chair of the Commercial Law
Section of the Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch (“CBABC”) in 1973–75;
chair of the Personal Property Security Subcommittee of the CBABC’s Business
Law Section in 1975–90; a member of the Company Act Committee of
the CBABC’s Business Law Section, 1986–2000; and a member of the Law
Society’s Solicitors Legal Opinions Committee.