| 3. | Honorable Judge Nigel Patrick Lawrence  (1.Robert1) was born on 17 Feb 1935 in Calgary, Calgary Census Division, Alberta, Canada; died on 26 Aug 2015 in Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland. Other Events and Attributes:
- _UID: F1574695B2FD47C7AF692E65B2475EA486EB
Notes:
Died:
LAWRENCE, The Honourable Judge Nigel Patrick (Retired)
February 17, 1935 - August 26, 2015
Patrick Lawrence, of Red Deer, Alberta, died peacefully surrounded by his family and at a time of his own choosing in Basel, Switzerland. With him were his survivors: his loving wife of fifty-five years, Stephanie; his adoring daughters, Gillian Lawrence and her husband, Keith McCandlish of Calgary, Jennifer Lawrence of Hong Kong, and Pamela Lawrence and her husband, Daniel Agapi of Calgary. He is also survived by his two brothers, Michael and his wife, Sandra of Hudson, Quebec and Timothy and his wife, Dorothy of Red Deer, as well as two nieces and three nephews. He was predeceased by his son-in-law, Michael Shannon, and his parents, Gwendolyn and Nigel Lawrence. Patrick was born in Calgary and received his early education in Winnipeg and Red Deer. He studied engineering at the University of Alberta and political science and economics at the University of British Columbia where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1959. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta in 1962 and was admitted to the bar the following year. He practised law in Red Deer for twenty-five years, and during this time was active in the Central Alberta Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society. He was appointed Queens Counsel in 1976 and in the same year appeared with success before the Supreme Court of Canada. On September 1, 1987, Patrick was appointed a Judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta where he served until retirement in 2011. Before becoming a judge, he served his community through membership in the Kinsmen and Rotary Clubs. His interest in health care and medical science saw him undertake two elected terms on the Red Deer Hospital Board, serve as a Commissioner of the Alberta Hospital Services Commission and following the disbanding of that body, as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Minister of Hospitals and Health Care. In 1980, he accepted an appointment as one of nine trustees to the newly formed Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, serving for eight years. Pat was devoted to his community, his profession and, most of all, his family. He was on occasion outspoken and irreverent, but at all times fastidious, courteous, perceptive and compassionate. Pat travelled to many places, took some good photographs, read many books, and grew gorgeous lilies in his backyard. Friends are invited for remembrances and refreshments at the Red Deer Golf and Country Club on Thursday, October 15, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Anyone wishing to make a memorial donation is encouraged to consider Dying with Dignity Canada at 55 Eglinton Ave. E., Toronto, Ontario M4P 1G8 (dyingwithdignity.ca) or the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation at 3942-50A Ave., Red Deer, Alberta T4N 4E7 (rdrhfoundation.com).
Published in The Calgary Herald from Sept. 4 to Sept. 5, 2015
GILLIAN LAWRENCE
CONTRIBUTED TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 10, 2016
UPDATED MARCH 25, 2017
Husband, father, judge, lily grower, traveller. Born on Feb. 17, 1935, in Calgary; died on Aug. 26, 2015, in Basel, Switzerland, by physician-assisted death, following Parkinson's disease, aged 80.
The eldest of three sons, Pat spent his early years in Winnipeg before his family moved to Red Deer, Alta. Most summers were spent at Sabre Ranch at nearby Pine Lake, where the Lawrence family first homesteaded in 1896. Pat, his brothers and many cousins worked on the ranch under the direction of "the uncles" and hired hands. There were pranks and mischief, too.
In 1960, Pat married Stephanie Hall, to whom he was devoted for more than 55 years. After finishing his law degree at the University of Alberta, they moved to Red Deer, building a life that centred around their three daughters, Gillian, Jennifer and Pamela.
Our dad was an exceptionally engaged father. He helped us with homework, including making an igloo from sugar cubes and icing-sugar paste, and a volcano from shoe boxes and Play-Doh. He performed hip replacements on our Barbie dolls after we overextended their legs. He skied and sailed with us and helped Jennifer to practice her pirouettes. He wrote each of us wise letters when we faced challenging times as young adults. He kept files documenting our artwork and other accomplishments. In fact, he kept meticulous records about everything, including household repairs, his prolific lily garden, and the daily walks that he and Mom took together.
Over the years, Dad and Mom travelled the world and we did the same as a family. In the summer of 1978, he took five weeks off from his law practice and the family headed to Great Britain. There were Yorkshire terriers everywhere and Pamela relentlessly asked for one. By the end of the summer we had a Yorkshire terrier, named after Dad's grandmother's Yorkshire birthplace. Whixley became his dog. They went everywhere together, including the central Alberta courthouses where Dad presided after he was appointed as a provincial court judge in 1987.
Dad loved being a Family and Youth Court judge. His decisions were sometimes unorthodox. He once sentenced a young offender to do a book report; the youth had to read Catcher in the Rye and report back to Dad in his chambers a few weeks later. While caseworkers and lawyers did not always agree with Dad's decisions, they knew he had the best interests of children at heart. He often reminded those in his court that "this is the Child Welfare Act, not the Parent Welfare Act."
Dad was fond of beer and concocted his own "Judge's Brew," a mixture of a local India pale ale and stout (when he and a court caseworker reached for the last case of IPA in the liquor store, Dad ordered the caseworker to take it). Dad also cooked with beer. He made beer pancakes for dinner when Mom was away. When the shish kabob skewers were forgotten during a May long weekend with family friends, "ragout" was created in a big frying pan over an open fire. This dish became a tradition with beer, or wine, added at Dad's discretion.
Our final family trip was to Basel, Switzerland, so Dad could exercise his end-of-life choice. His was a good death after a good life.
Gillian Lawrence is Pat's eldest daughter.
Nigel married Stephanie Anne Hall on 28 Nov 1960 in Red Deer, Red Deer Census Division, Alberta, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1902 - 1990 (87 years)
