Job said to his tormentors, 

“Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Job 19-23-26

Job trusted in a God of Justice.

This is his ground for his belief in a resurrection.

It is ours as well - the hope in an afterlife in which we shall meet again those who have departed. 

So we can say with the poet John Donne. 

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and souls deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die!

Graveside Ceremony for Brian and John

Here we have gathered in memory of Brian William Ferriman McLoughlin and John Arthur Roche McLoughlin, so that we may together perform one final duty of love.

But even as we gather, with reverence and love, to place the ashes of these two brothers here in this cemetery, let us continue to take in the truth of the transient nature of all life. Death is not to be feared, but to be seen as the great reminder. Truly, life is no more than a brief stroll in the park. And so, how are we going to live?

This is from the American poet Mary Oliver:

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox;

when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.

When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.

I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.

This monument and these gravestones represent the lives of others, some deeply beloved, others known only by name and story. They, too, have passed this way, as have all the others, whose names we might read here. Each had a story, a dream, a vision of a life. When we encounter death, through the loss of a parent, or any loved one, this is our own great reminder. The days and the nights are relentlessly passing, how well am I spending my time? Have I committed myself to a practice of gratitude for this life, for this day? Am I softening my heart with forgiveness, for all the wrongs, imagined or real, that have been done to me? Am I nurturing generosity as a way of living, as a way of being in the world?

As we place or scatter the ashes of John and Brian, we trust that somehow what was best in their lives will not be lost, but will rejoin the great web of creation.

Let us join together in the spirit of prayer and meditation, first by hearing familiar words from the book of Ecclesiastes, and then with a time of silence....

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Letting go requires of us that we embrace the truth of change.

The Pond at Dusk

BY JANE KENYON

A fly wounds the water but the wound   

soon heals. Swallows tilt and twitter   

overhead, dropping now and then toward   

the outward-radiating evidence of food.

The green haze on the trees changes   

into leaves, and what looks like smoke   

floating over the neighbor’s barn   

is only apple blossoms.

But sometimes what looks like disaster   

is disaster: the day comes at last,

and the men struggle with the casket   

just clearing the pews.

Let Evening Come

BY JANE KENYON

Let the light of late afternoon

shine through chinks in the barn, moving   

up the bales as the sun moves down.

Let the cricket take up chafing   

as a woman takes up her needles   

and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned   

in long grass. Let the stars appear

and the moon disclose her silver horn.

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.   

Let the wind die down. Let the shed   

go black inside. Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop   

in the oats, to air in the lung   

let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don’t   

be afraid. God does not leave us   

comfortless, so let evening come.

In this present moment, grief and memories live side by side in our hearts. In the days and months ahead, grief can move from numbness and pain, settling to a deeper place in our hearts; so it may be that the memories of that which was best in John and Brian can shine forth more fully. Let us pause in silence for a moment, taking time to remember our favorite memories of their lives. So we may honor that which was best in them.

Please, if you feel moved, speak a phrase or a word to call to mind some memory of John or Brian.

Brian, sitting at the kitchen table at the cottage, holding hands with Sarah, and his grandchildren, saying our version of Grace - "Big, Happy, Family!"

John, carefully raking up the arbutus leaves at 515, wearing his red jacket.

(Others speak as they are moved.)

There is a finality in placing the remains in ground, or in scattering them here. Yet in doing so, we can release ourselves to grieve more fully, to feel more deeply, to remember more clearly, and to let ourselves embody what was best in their lives.

Now we place these ashes in the ground; what has come from the earth goes back to the earth; so the cycle of life turns yet again.

[Place ashes or scatter remains.]

We have truly let Brian and John go. Having completed this final task, may we go forth quietly, with a measure of peace, so that we may live out our own lives with a renewed sense of the legacy of these two unique men, both of whom cared deeply for their families and their country. This is a legacy of humour and laughter, warmth, generosity, and great kindness. What better way to honour them, than to aspire to embody these qualities ourselves.

We end with two blessings, one we can imagine sending out to Brian and John, as well as to each other.

Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Beannacht (Blessing) by John O'Donahue

On the day when the weight deadens on your shoulders

and you stumble, may the clay dance to balance you.

And when your eyes freeze behind the grey window

and the ghost of loss gets in to you,

may a flock of colours, indigo, red, green, and azure blue

come to awaken in you a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays in the currach of thought

and a stain of ocean blackens beneath you,

may there come across the waters a path of yellow moonlight

to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,

may the clarity of light be yours,

may the fluency of the ocean be yours,

may the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow wind work these words of love around you,

an invisible cloak to mind your life.

We end in silent prayer or meditation.

Celebrating the Life of
Brian William Ferriman McLoughlin QC
October 4th 1927 ~ June 11th 2014

Prelude Susan Ohannesian

Welcome and Opening Prayers

Hymn

The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want:
he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
even for his own name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through death's dark vale,
yet will I fear no ill;
for thou art with me, and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.
My table thou hast furnished
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me,
and in God's house forevermore
my dwelling place shall be.

Reading 1 Corinthians chapter 13
Stephanie Walker

Words of Remembrance and Eulogy
Margo McLoughlin
Michael McLoughlin

Reading verses from Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Sam McLoughlin

Hymn
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
who abide in his shadow for life,
say to the Lord: 'My refuge,
my God in whom I trust!'

Refrain: And he will raise you up on eagles' wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of his hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
and famine will bring you no fear:
under his wings your refuge,
his faithfulness your shield.
Refrain
You need not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day;
though thousands fall about you,
near you it shall not come.
Refrain
For to his angels he's given a command
to guard you in all of your ways;
upon their hands they will bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Refrain

Prayers
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen

Commendation & Committal

Final Prayers
Priest - Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord,
People - and let light perpetual shine upon him. Amen.
Priest - May his soul, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
People - Amen.

Blessing

Postlude Ode to Joy Susan Ohannesian

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; 5 it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; 10 but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. 13 So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

Come, my friends.
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,--
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson

1.
Thank you for coming today to St. Mary's
to remember Brian McLoughlin
husband, father, grandfather,
uncle, cousin, brother...

2.
For some of you he was a colleague and partner,
perhaps even a mentor over the many decades
he spent in the legal profession.
No doubt you saw his legal mind at work,
witnessed his skill at presenting a case
his relentless pursuit of justice for his client.
I know firsthand that he had a gift for cross-examination.
My brother and I often experienced
his rapid-fire interrogation
at the dinner table,
especially during our teenage years.

For some of you, he was a neighbour,
who became a good friend.
He deliberately set out to connect
with new residents of the neighbourhood,
usually with an invitation to tea.
He understood the importance of building community.
Really, for him it was the basis of a civil society.

He filled many roles in his life,
and touched many people.

3.
Two aspects stand out for me
when I think of my father's legacy:
First, was his interest in people and his engagement with the world.
Second, was his deep enjoyment of the pleasures of life.

4. Let me give you an example of the first.
Politics. Canada. Quebec.
I remember the night in November, 1976,
when the Parti Quebecois first came to power in Quebec.
My father was jubilant.
At last, the people of Quebec were asserting themselves
and speaking out for a renewed vision of their province.

His attitude shifted when the PQ appeared to be taking
the province perilously close to separation.
A strong Quebec was essential, but not as a separate nation.
In 1980, I was a student
at the University of Laval in Quebec City.
The referendum,
which would give the provincial government a mandate
to negotiate a new relationship with Canada
was only a few weeks away.
I received a four-page letter from my father
a passionate plea
to reach out to my separatist friends
to educate my fellow students
about the folly of breaking apart the country.
Thankfully, from his perspective,
the PQ were defeated,
(but not because of my efforts.)

Later, when campaigning for the second referendum
on sovereignty-association was underway
Dad took it upon himself to contact random citizens of Quebec,
calling them up out of the blue
and chatting with them about their views
on Quebec and Canada.
He recognized that perception shapes our attitudes
and he did his best to educate westerners
about the importance of Quebec
and the presence of French-Canadians across the country.
Though he was polite to individual Americans he met,
he had a horror of Canada becoming engulfed
by American culture.

One more example:

5. The second aspect of my father's legacy I wanted to mention
is his commitment to enjoying life.
In his 40's he took up car-racing,
a vastly different world from law.
He loved the camaraderie between the drivers at the track.
He loved the challenge and the thrill of maneuvering
the highly responsive open-wheel race-car
through the hair-pin corners and the straight-aways
of the race-track.
There is one photo of him, holding his helmet,
wearing his race-suit,
where he resembles the British driver
Jackie Stewart.
In taking up this unusual pastime, he was fulfilling a dream.

Off the track, he enjoyed driving-trips,
through B.C.
with my mother as the fearless navigator.
Occasionally, he would even be so kind as to stop
so that she could pull out her drawing materials
and make a quick sketch.

Likewise, at their Vancouver Island property,
he took pleasure in the physical tasks
required to manage the place,
from mowing, to chopping wood.
Together they were a team,
especially through the years
of nut-farming.

Then there was breakfast:
a bowl of oatmeal, toast and jam, coffee
and solitude.
In retirement he settled into a routine of breakfast as
consummate ritual and private meditation.
It was a pleasure that he stretched out, sometimes
almost till noon.
If I happened to call during this period,
I would be gently but firmly reminded that he was having breakfast. It was not a good time to call.
If I happened to be visiting, I would be offered my own reading material (the daily newspapers, Road and Track magazine)
with a strong hint not to attempt any conversation, at all.

He delighted in his grandchildren,
instructed them in the correct pronunciation
of such tricky words
as Tuesday and tune (rather than Toosday and toone)
and encouraged them to learn about the history of Canada.
July 1st was usually the occasion for an e-mail with reflections on this topic.


Perhaps his greatest gift to us his family and friends
is his example of the potential
we each have to live from an understanding of our interconnectedness,
recognizing that we do have an impact in the world,
in the choices we make,
the causes we stand up for,
in the values we live by.
At the same time, he inspires us to remember
the need to replenish our souls
through those things that bring us happiness
and satisfaction.

I will finish with a quote from Winston Churchill, whose voluminous writings my father read and returned to often, and whose ascerbic wit, courage, and wisdom, was a source of much inspiration to him: We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

Good afternoon. My name is Michael McLoughlin. My father was Brian McLoughlin. We are here today to honor his life and to mourn his passing.

BRIAN WAS BORN IN VICTORIA

Brian was born in Victoria, BC on October 4, 1927. He was educated at St. Michael's School, Oak Bay High, and Victoria College, before entering law school at UBC. Called to the Bar in 1950, he joined the firm, Lawrence, Shaw & McFarlane, later Lang Michener. In 1971 he was appointed Queen's Counsel, and in 1984 he served as Treasurer (President) of the Law Society of British Columbia. A Life Bencher, Brian was known as a tenacious litigator, sometimes referred to by colleagues as "Bulldog McLoughlin." In retirement, he undertook several pro-bono cases, to which he devoted many hours. Justice, integrity, generosity - these were the values he lived by.

STORIES THAT ILLUSTRATE BRIAN'S CHARACTER

Let me share some stories that help me remember my father. Brian was a positive person, He was uncomplicated. He was straightforward. He knew what the right thing was to do and he did it.

SYLVIA

For example, his cousin Sylvia. She was stricken with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 27. She lived out her years in a wheel chair. Her husband left her. She had two young children. She was in a very difficult place.  Brian stepped in to help. He arranged for her to have an apartment in North Vancouver where she could be taken care of. Every year the family took a trip to Hawaii, sponsored by Brian.

STANDING BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Brian’s care for Sylvia was one of many examples of doing the right thing for his family. He was there for his brother John. He was there for his niece Susan.  Family members in difficulty knew they could count on Brian. Many of you here because you have experienced Brian's help and steadfast support.

BEING A GOOD SPORT

For a few years he took up the sport of motor car racing. Margo and I were his pit crew. Sarah filmed the races. He was set to win the Formula V championship at the last race of the season in Portland. It was raining. His rival for the championship did not have rain tires. Being a good sport, Brian leant him a spare set of tires. His rival won the race and took the championship. Brian did the right thing even though it cost him a championship.

LAW CAREER PRO BONO SUCCESS

As a lawyer he won many legal cases, even at the Supreme Court of Canada, but his most satisfying wins were his pro bono cases. Brian worked tirelessly on behalf of those who could not have succeeded on their own.

A FARM BECAME A PARK

He suffered his share of defeats as well. One defeat that led to a happy conclusion was the decision of the BC Supreme Court to side with the Local Regional District in a contest over farm status for Brain and Sarah’s property near Merville. That decision prompted a rethinking that brought the idea to donate the property to the Comox Valley Land Trust. Thus was born a new park at the end of Tasman road called McLoughlin Gardens.

FRIENDS WITH TONY BULL

Doing the right thing included travelling with his friends. He toured Europe with his good friend Tony Bull. The story goes that they crashed the bike they were using. It was a long day and both were looking forward to some rest. Brian took an extra long bath at the boarding room. Much to Tony’s chagrin, Brian had used all the hot water! After that Dad was sure to provide Tony with access to the hot water first and frequently invited the Bull family to stay with the McLoughlin’s in Vancouver.

CALLING FRENCH CANADA

Doing the right thing also included sticking up for Canada during the Quebec referendum crisis. Many a French speaking Quebecer received a surprise phone call from Brian in British Columbia encouraging them in perfect French to stay in Canada and vote NO on the referendum.

ONE WEAKNESS

One weakness he had was his need to find the shortest, fastest or most convenient way to get from point A to point B in his car. He enjoyed driving his Porsche immensely. He once drove to Grand Forks BC to dispute a speeding ticket from an earlier trip and made it there and back to Vancouver, all in one day. On his way to see friends at the Vancouver club he knew all the best free parking places in downtown Vancouver where you were unlikely to be ticketed. Even if the sign said “Thou shalt not park”, you may still find a green Porsche sitting there. There were always reasons why that sign did not apply to him! 

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

During one such trip he noticed a car illegally parked with a flat tire that had expired insurance. The next time he passed by he brought along a air pressure tank and pumped up the tire. The next time he went by that place, the car was gone.

On another occasion, he noticed a car being towed. The license plate was from Quebec. He followed the tow truck and paid the tow.

STICK UP FOR THE LITTLE GUY

For Brian, seeing others succeed was the right thing to do.

•He liked to back the underdog.

•He was always ready to stick up for the little guy.

•He always had time to listen to a person’s story and to find a way to encourage them.

HE DID THE RIGHT THING

That was my father, Brian McLoughlin, a man who did the right thing, no matter what the personal cost.

CHRIST DID THE RIGHT THING LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS

We meet in a church today because of another man, two thousand years ago, who did the right thing and laid down his life for his friends.

FOLLOW IN THAT EXAMPLE

Brian has followed in his example, and so we too are invited to follow in that example.

At times like this, we gather with people we may not have seen for a long time. Some of these people we may be estranged from. I encourage you as Brian would, to do the right thing, make the extra effort to be reconciled to family and friends.

•Suffer the indignity of having to say sorry, as Brian often did.

•Forgive those who have wounded you, as Brian often did.

•Ask that question you have held back for fear of being judged, as Brian often did.

BE REMEMBERED AS BRIAN IS REMEMBERED

Be remembered by your friends and family, as Brian was, for being a person who did the right thing no matter what the personal cost.

Thank you.

Letter to Bob Bondurant, Race Car Driver Instructor

Dear Bob I recently came across in AutoWeek a reference to your 35th anniversary so I as one of your early students thought I would pass along some of my experiences at your school and since. I first met you and took your 5 day course in 1970 or 71 at the Ontario track where I was able to boast that Paul Newman and I raced each other in 914s. In fact the track was wet and after P.N. tried to pass me on the inside approaching the corner your instructor called off the race . I had seen him coming so all was well. I don't remember the name of your instructor but he had a "Centerfold" wife . He taught me to heel toe and to drift the 914 which was great fun. I was doing laps with another student as passenger when I went off at that corner where sadly Steve Savage later was killed. Although my passenger was a bit nervous as we slid across the gravel I kept us off the wall. A year or two later I think '73 when you had moved to Sears Point I came back for more instruction as I had been racing Vees and was moving to Fords . I have a strong recollection of you riding beside me grabbing my shoulder and straightening me up since I was leaning over in the corners .I still see people doing that dumb move. I recall following a Datsun driven by one of your instructors with a student who had been badly burned about their face. In the FF I was able to keep up and push him a bit. I remember after some rain you told us to not lift for the large puddle on the first corner but to slide across it . I did that and it worked. When I started racing I was 43 and continued for 10 years starting in Formula .Vees and then F Fords and finally F Atlantics. In Vees I came second in a Conference championship  In Fords I won a Westwood championship and in Atlantic did not badly in my RT1 but not wonderfully in my RT4. I found setting up the car was much more difficult in the Atlantic and much depended on the help I had. Throughout my career I suffered 2 crushed discs and one broken leg in separate incidents but enjoyed the experience (racing ie) immensely. Thanks for the encouragement which led me to this weekend career. Yours Truly Brian McLoughlin PS In my other career I was a lawyer. 

Pre_School

I have little recollection of these but I do recall after my mother divorced my father . He had met and been fascinated by the daughter of the founder of the NDP . As a catholic this was  a great sin and he once told me that he suffered much as a result.  John and I were obliged to see him for holidays in the summer and on weekends. I felt sorry for him but I regret no respect.  This divorce had two effects on me. First as I grew older I decided this would not happen to me and I took great care in the choice of a lifetime companion.

Second all the legal entanglements arising from the settlements arranged I think from the J.H.McLoughlin estate made me think  I needed to be a lawyer to understand what it was all about. So I later became one.

I recall one incident when we stayed with my father and his new wife in an apartment  in the West End . I had had  a bath and knowing she would be in to clean it I deliberately set the shower so it would come on when the tap was turned on. I was delighted to hear a little shriek from the bathroom soon after.

We lived for some time John and I  and mother with her parents ( Arthur Salsbury and Jean Muir) at 1218  Bidwell st. We loved them dearly .

Also living there for a time were Grannie's sister Nettie McConnell and her one legged son Bill. He had lost it in the 1st war. Unhappily I think while we were away in England he shot himself.

Mother had to go to England to get her divorce so we lived in various locations over there . We stayed with grannie McLoughlin in her Kensington flat and were driven around by her chauffer Robert for part of the time.  I recall two incidents when we were staying near Southampton.  I was caught taking a crown (money} from my grandmother's purse and was severly but kindly chastized.  That was a useful lesson.

Nearby was a five way crossroads and I felt it necessary to direct traffic there.  Th cars all obeyed my direction and I believe an accident occurred after I stopped . Also I remember seeing the large german  liner the Bremen leaving Southhampton one day.

In another place it seemed in the country  at Christmas time after we had been making paper chains to decorate the tree all the lights went out as we did not have money to put in the gas meter.

Once John had to have an hernia operation  and I was placed in Ireland on a farm with some relations. I felt very lonely but  I do recall herding the sheep and once catching an eel ina stream nearby.

Our relatons occupied Ainescorthy castle in Rosslare and I remember playing with toy cars there. There was much talk of a tunnel used for escaping from attackers but we never found it.

In the summer we stayed at a cottage on the beach at Rosslare and one day I came running into the house and stepped on a nail sticking through a board lying across the entrance. It went right through my foot. This sounds like a rather careless carpenter irish like.

Later I had a terrible stomach ache and the old nurse provided by grannie recommended aspirins, (that could have been fatal). but mother would not have it. It turned out to be an appendix and I was rushed to Dublin where Dr. Harry Roche a relation operated.  I thanked him when he visited us at 5416 a few years  ago.

At some point the legal businees was done and we headed home on the SSWinnipeg a freighter with some cabins. We came through the Panama canal. I remember the crew had caught an eagle which they held by its wings so the passengers could see it.  There lined up were a number of  American naval ships and  I was heard to say in a strong english accent  "Which one is King George's yacht?" much to the delight of the american passengers.

On that trip I was running through the corridors one day and ran into a sailor carrying a large bucket of boiling oil which was spilled on my back. I  Also on that trip I met a french girl about my age who happily gave me french lessons . That is where I succeeded in acquiring a decent accent.

And so to Vancouver and 1218 Bidwell.

My Grandfather Arthur Salsbury used to take John and I for walks with our dog Techy along English Bay and through Stanley Park.  He had a wonderful sense of humour and was always playing jokes on us. He often bought us ice creams for 5 cents probably with money he had borrowed from Grannie as he did not have much.

Brian William Ferriman McLoughlin was born October 4, 1927 in Victoria. He attended St. Michael's School and Oak Bay High School where it is reputed he lost some of his innocence and most of his hair.

After graduating from U.B.C. Law School he articled with Lawrence & Shaw where he has remained since his pre-Sputnik call to the Bar in 1950.

In 1970, when he was 43 and many of his contemporaries were staving off ulcers, nervous exhaustion and mid-life crises, Brian took up high-speed formula auto racing. He began with Formula V, winning a championship in Edmonton in October, 1972 after he and his wife chipped ice from the frozen track. He progressed to Formula Ford, and then to the much larger and faster Formula Atlantic which he raced until a serious crash in 1982 left him hobbling around the courts on a variety of crutches and canes. His partners and his insurance company have been breathing sighs of relief since he abandoned his racing career.

During Brian's racing days, it is said that he hired articled students on the basis that they would attend every Saturday (Bar admission exam days excepted) at the race track with a stopwatch acting as "corner man" during practice runs.

As one of Vancouver's leading counsel, Brian is known as being highly competent, aggressive and stubborn. Apparently he was aggressive and stubborn even before he became competent.

The story is told that one of his partners, who was filling in for Brian during a vacation, had occasion to telephone opposing counsel. The poor fellow on the other side informed the partner that he had referred the case to another lawyer and was disposing of his practice to go into another line of work. He said that life was too short if all he had to look forward to was "stubborn, unrelenting bulldogs" (or words to that effect) like McLoughlin.

We hasten to add that Brian's professional attributes are tempered by gentlemanly grace and impish good humor (and it is as often as not directed at himself).

Those who have practised with Brian at Lawrence & Shaw (where he is referred to affectionately as "Big Mac") are familiar with his insistence on high ethical standards and proper decorum. He is a firm believer in black shoes and socks in Court, and has gone to great lengths to keep the faith. On the rare days when Brian has come unprepared, many an unsuspecting associate and the odd partner had been stripped of their black shoes and socks at 9:50 a.m. and left to cool their heels, as it were, until Brian's return at the end of the day.

Despite the date of his birth, Brian steadfastly insists that he is 49, relying on the deeming provision in the Statute of Benny, 12 Geo. VI, Chapter 1. At this young age

he has accomplished much. He has been a Bencher since 1973, sitting as Chairman and member of a myriad of committees. He has been active on committees of the Canadian Bar Association. Outside the legal arena he has served as president of both the B.C. and Canadian Cerebral Palsy Associations.

Brian is proud of his profession and respectful of the duties of lawyers to society and actively discharges those duties.

When he is not racing cars, practising law or being a Bencher, he retreats with his family to property near Comox where he raises filberts. The nearest telephone is at a filling station on the highway. During these periods, clients and colleagues trying to contact him are politely told that Brian cannot be reached because he is at the Nut Farm.

First published in The Advocate, January 1984. 

Law School:        UBC

Articles:                Ian A. Shaw

Called to the Bar:             October 28, 1950

Practice History

•             Solicitor and partner with Lawrence, Shaw a McFarlane (1950 - 1972)

•             Partner with Lang Michener Lawrence 8 Shaw (1972 - 1992)

•             Sole Practitioner (1995 - 2011)

Cases

•             Dallas v. Dallas;
•             Gould v. Gould;
•             Coso v. Poulos;
•             Arrow Transfer v. Royal Bank ;
•             The Wohleben Estate;
•             Bethlehem Copper  tax case ...

Professional and Community Service

•             1960s: CBA, Chair, Labour Law Section

•             CBA, Chair, Constitutional Law Section

•             1970s: CBA, Chair, Joint Committee of CBA/CMA

•             CBA, Member of Joint Committee on Bilingualism in the Courts

Law Society

•             Bencher (1973 - 1984)

•             Chair of Credentials Committee, Insurance

•             Committee, Competency Committee

•             Chair and member of many discipline and credentials Panels

•             Treasurer, 1984

•             Life Bencher

•             Chair of Federation of Law Societies Committee on Integrity in the
              Legal Profession (1984-1985)

Other

•             Member of United Way Campaign Teams

•             Past President, B.C. Cerebral Palsy Association

•             Past President, Canadian Cerebral Palsy Association

•             Past Governor of York House School

•             Canadian Automobile Sports Car Club Appeal Board member

•             Member of the Panel of American Arbitration Association

•             Member of the Arbitrators Institute of Canada

•             Member of Panel of B.C. Commercial Arbitration Centre

REFLECTIONS

My happiest memory as a lawyer

When my client, a waiter injured in an accident, won an award in the SCC tripling the damages ordered in the B.C. courts.

One of the funniest things I've experienced during my 50 years in practice.

Defending a foreclosure "pro bona' for a Doukobor lady and friend. Before trial, plaintiffs counsel warned me that my lady client had spent jail time for issuing rubber cheques and perjury. Since her evidence re: the signing of the mortgage was critical, at trial I advised a settlement halving the balance due. Many expressions of gratitute followed and my bill for $32.40 parking expense was paid by cheque. Guess what .... the cheque BOUNCED!

My other career...

... was motor racing. For 10 years I joined the Pacific North West Circuit driving open wheel racers from Formula Vees, Fords and Atlantics and won many races and a Championship.

What I've cherished about being a lawyer.

Being able to contribute to see Justice done. It has been very rewarding when this did occur and somewhat painful when it did not.

Other

Participating in this noble profession and being part of the collegiality among lawyers has given me great satisfaction. As a Treasurer and Bencher, making a contribution to the profession has been a reward in itself.