This January saw the deaths of three of British Columbia’s legal giants; Merrill Leckie, Marvin N. Stark, QC, and Allan McEachern, all within the space of one week. These men dramatically impacted and shaped the law, provincially and beyond. It is therefore fitting that we use this space to reflect and honour the lives and careers of these three luminaries while commemorating the attributes that made them respected and celebrated leaders in B.C.’s legal community.

On January 5, 2008 Merrill Leckie passed away after a distinguished and storied career as a dedicated legal professional in this province. Born in Vancouver in 1933, Merrill graduated from UBC with degrees in Commerce and Law. He practised law in Vancouver for 42 years with Watson Goepel Maledy LLP. In a clear demonstration of his desire to give back to his profession and the community, Mr. Leckie served as the president of the Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch in 1986. He also was president of the B.C. Arbitration & Mediation Institute, and B.C. president of the Council for Canadian Unity. In 1998, Mr. Leckie was named the recipient of the Louis St-Laurent Award of Excellence that recognizes distinguished or exceptional service in meeting with the goals of the CBA.

Three days later Marvin Stark, QC passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, in his sleep, having enjoyed distinguished dual careers both as a lawyer of 50 years and as a business law professor at Simon Fraser University. Two highlights of Mr. Stark’s legal career include being appointed to the rank of Queen’s Counsel in 1992, and being the recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Sadly, Allan McEachern passed away two days later on January 10. Mr. McEachern had a well documented legal career. He practised with Russell & DuMoulin until 1979, when he was appointed a justice of the B.C. Supreme Court. He became Chief Justice in 1988 before being elevated to the B.C. Court of Appeal as Chief Justice. Following his retirement, Mr. McEachern was elected as chancellor of the University of British Columbia in June 2002 and was re-elected in 2005, a position which he held until his death. He was a progressive Chief Justice in that he initiated and encouraged the use of computers by all judges, set up an interactive web page and created a Legal Compendium for the public to keep abreast of legal decisions.

Actively contributing to their profession right up until their deaths, these three men are prime examples of the excellence within Canada’s legal community. Their careers stand as examples for all young and aspiring lawyers of what can be achieved with dedication, persistence and professional virtuosity. They will be sorely missed.

This article was published in the February 2008 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2008, all rights reserved.