In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Partner Emeritus, friend and colleague, John D. McKellar, CM, KC. John passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, surrounded by his family.
John was a member of WeirFoulds for 62 years and was a chairman of the firm for 13 years before retiring in 2021. He led a distinguished career that saw him decorated as one of the most highly respected lawyers in Canada, maintaining a broad practice that focused on commercial, corporate and not-for-profit matters, while also contributing to the community as an active volunteer, generous donor and pro bono legal adviser to performing artists and arts organizations throughout Canada.
John gave generously of his time to organizations such as the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, the Younge Centre for the Performing Arts, the Glenn Gould Foundation, Off Centre Music Salon, the Ontario Arts Foundation, the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, Canada Council for the Arts, Imagine Canada, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and the Toronto Arts Council, and was a founding director of Toronto’s Augusta Theatre, Theatre Toronto and Tarragon Theatre.
Throughout his career, John received recognitions such as the 2011 Edmund C. Bovey Award for contributions to Canadian Arts and Culture, the 2016 Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, as well as being made a member of the Order of Canada in 1996.
“All of us at WeirFoulds are deeply saddened by the loss of our long-time friend and colleague John,” said Co-Managing Partner Wayne Egan. “He was a tremendous person, an exceptional lawyer with a substantial impact on the arts and culture of our country, and a mentor to generations of young lawyers throughout his years of service to the firm.”
John will be remembered for his great love of the performing arts and his steadfast dedication to supporting arts organizations throughout Canada, for his generosity of time, and for his devotion to his family. He will be deeply missed by all those who were privileged to know him.
In honour of John’s memory, WeirFoulds has made a contribution to the Toronto Arts Foundation.