Gregory Kenneth Steele QC

January 26, 2017

Passed away peacefully with his family by his side on January 26, 2017, at age 65 years. Greg is survived by Susan, his loving wife of nearly 43 years; son Jason and daughter Jennifer; brothers Michael, Peter, Chris and sisters Janice and Cathie; and many extended family and friends.

Greg was a respected lawyer, appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2002, and managed a thriving law practice from 1980 until his retirement in 2009.

Serving as a mentor to many young lawyers, Greg appeared at all levels of court in BC and in the Supreme Court of Canada. He was active in the legal community serving as a Director and Past President of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada, a member of the Canadian delegation to the Special Commission of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, a founding member and Chair of the British Columbia Law Institute and served on the Board of Directors and was a past Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC. During his career Greg participated in many professional associations including the British Columbia branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the Trial Lawyers Association of BC and the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada. Among Greg’s other accomplishments, he co-authored the book Employment covenants and Confidential Information.

In 2012, the Canadian Centre for Elder Law established an award in his name to recognize Greg’s many contributions to the advancement of legal issues for the elderly. Greg was a member of the Rotary Club of Vancouver, including Club Secretary in 1994-95. In his free time, Greg was an active sailor, cruising the Gulf Islands and the Georgia Strait. In the winter months, he was an avid skier, for whom even the steepest slopes of Whistler were no match.

In his later years, he took up cooking to try and emulate the Italian dishes he and Susan sampled on their many trips to Tuscany. Greg also had a passion for flying aircraft and logged several hours at the controls of a Cessna 172 with the goal of obtaining his Private Pilot’s License.

The family would like to thank the nurses of Lions Gate Hospital, Paul Klimo Clinic, and the Intensive Care Unit for their exceptional care of Greg, as well as his physicians Dr. Sasha Smiljanic and Dr. Paul Sugar.

A Celebration of Greg’s life will be held Friday, February 24, 2017 at 2:00 PM in St. Christopher’s Anglican Church, 1068 Inglewood Avenue, West Vancouver, BC. The Reverend Michael McGee, officiating. Should friends desire, donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, 303 -1401 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6H 1H6, appreciated.

You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence for the family.

Messages of Condolence

I was so sorry to learn that Greg had finally lost the battle he had fought hard for so long. David Macfarlane and I always enjoyed his presence in our office after he assigned his articles to us. He went on to a career for which he could be justly proud. Please accept my sincere sympathy.

- John Pearkes

It was with great sorrow that I learned of Greg's passing. Deepest condolences to Susan and the family. Greg was a classmate, a colleague and my friend of so many years - a wonderful man. We will not be able to attend at the celebration of life but our thoughts will be with you all. David Lunny

- David Lunny

I was so sorry to hear of Greg's passing. We worked together for years on the executive of the CBC BC and he was a true delight - witty, very intelligent, perceptive - and had many great jokes/comments to keep the long meetings truly fun. He had exceptional legal talents and interests in larger policy issues impacting all of us that were second to none. His contribution to the legal community and to our Canadian society will not be forgotten. I am very saddened by his passing.

- Margaret Ostrowski Q.C.

I was truly sorry to hear of Greg's passing. My very first court appearance was with Greg appearing on the other side. He was graceful and courteous then and on every occasion thereafter and we remained friends throughout our legal careers. Greg was very active with the CBA and other organizations and it was a delight bumping into him here and there. He had a ready smile and laugh combined with a wry sense of humour. He will be missed. Please accept my heartfelt sympathy.

- David J. Bilinsky

I was a young lawyer ( many years ago) when I first met Greg and had the pleasure of working with him on numerous CBA initiatives. Greg was always an encouraging and supportive voice with tremendous insight and a wonderful sense of humour. I was fortunate to have his mentorship, and later friendship, for so many years. I will not be able to join you at his celebration of life, but I will be thinking of him. Greg has truly enriched BC's legal community.

- Catherine A. Sas, QC

My deepest condolences to Susan and to Greg's whole family. I met Greg as a member of the CLE Board where we served together. Greg was so giving of his time and expertise. He had been on the Board forever. He was patient with us newcomers and always had a kind word. He also had an absolutely amazing sense of humour -- he had the unique ability to make everyone in the room laugh WHILE making a wise observation or point that no one had thought of-- he had a quiet but brilliant way of influencing people. He will be sorrily missed by everyone who knew him, no doubt.

- Lisa Hamilton

Dear Steele family: The news of Greg's death saddens me very much. I knew Greg mostly through the CBA's international law section. He had such diverse legal interests and a seemingly inexhaustible energy for learning about and improving the law. It is not difficult to imagine how his interest in the world and zest for life would have transferred to other areas of life. Please accept my condolences for your loss. Greg was an intelligent and humane man. The legal community in British Columbia and beyond has benefited greatly from his many contributions.

- Monique Pongracic-Speier

Please accept my sincere sympathy on Greg's passing. Notwithstanding his long illness, as late as last year, I kept hearing about Greg's missions to the Hague on behalf of truth, justice and the Canadian way in negotiating the acquisition of our country's private international law commitments, always with clever common sense, a valuable sense of humour and a wry smile. It is in that context I came to know him as a fellow private sector participant on one Canadian delegation to the Hague Conference. In that regard, Greg's ongoing commitment and contributions to law reform have been stellar and will be sadly missed, by all of us who knew, respected and genuinely liked him in the profession. I cannot speak to his life outside the profession, but have the sense that it must have been equally rich, with a similar and likely greater sense of loss among those who knew him outside the law. For my part, it was an honour to know and work with Greg in a small part of his rich life; it was impossible not to like him and I liked and respected Greg a lot.

- H. Scott Fairley

I have known Greg since we were business students at SFU in the early 1970s and we both entered UBC Law School in the fall of 1976. Our paths continued to cross, perhaps most notably with the three editions of a book on employees' obligations that we jointly authored. I always marvelled at Greg's quiet equanimity and never once heard him complain about his medical situation - perhaps because he always understood all the many other wonderful aspects of his life including, most notably, his family. Greg was a great colleague; a scholar and a true gentleman. In these challenging times, the world could surely use many more Greg Steeles!

- Kenneth Thornicroft

My deepest condolences to Sue and family and also to Janice, Cathie, Michael, Peter and Chris. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

- Maureen Dorratt

- David J. Bilinsky

My condolences to Greg's family. Although I have not seen Greg or been in contact with him since 2007, I remember him as a generous, intelligent and patient individual as well as a good teacher. He gave me one of my first opportunities as a litigator, after being called to the Bar. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him and for his mentorship. I will always remember him.

- Carmen Tham

We were both saddened to hear the news of Greg's passing. Our first meeting with Greg was when he and Ken Fraser organized the Eagle Harbour Yacht club Super-cruise to Bedwell Bay, Pender Island. It was obvious immediately that Greg had a great sense of humour. I worked with Greg for a few years on the Executive of the yacht club, where it became quickly obvious that not only was he very professional in conducting himself but it was always done with a gleam in his eyes. Our deepest condolences to Susan and her family at this sad time.

- Danny & Anne Keeble

We will all miss you, Greg, Whistler will not be quite the same without you. Martin and Anna and family.

- The Linsley Family

Jason we are thinking of you and your family in this difficult time. I really enjoyed meeting your parents many years ago, and I am sure your Dad is a large part of how wonderful you are. I wish we could be there in person. Love and hugs - h

- Heather, Lee, Simon, and Sebastian O'Mara

I know you fought the great fight Greg. So sorry we did not have a chance to get together for lunch before you left this earth. I will always remember your great sense of humour; Like the time at Lake Okanagan when our Sea Ray ski boat was acting up and would not start. We were in the lake, swimming beside the boat, you saw the 'Sea Ray' logo on the side and exclaimed- 'thats the problem Jim- we are in a lake not the ocean where your boat belongs'. I will miss you my friend.

- Jim Bayles

Jason - we were saddened to learn of your father's death, but grateful for the knowledge that you spent so much quality time together over these past few years. Although we did not have the good fortune to meet your father, the many comments about his good humour confirm our belief that you'd not fallen far from the tree. Warmest wishes to your family. Our condolences.

- David Brock & Amy Groothuis

Susan, Jennifer, and Jason--Patricia and I can only guess at the extent of your loss. Greg was a great friend, a kind man, and the lawyer I admired most. His sense of humour stood him in good stead, as indeed did his unwillingness to ever quit. We will miss him.

- Robert Mackay

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