Tuesday, August 20, 2013
James M. Tory portrait

The law school is deeply saddened at the loss of one of our most distinguished alumni, James M. Tory Sr. (Class of 1952), who passed away August 19, 2013, aged 83. Jim was the modern law school’s first gold medalist and went on to a career as one of Canada’s leading business lawyers at his firm, Torys LLP.  

In addition to his skillful firm leadership, Jim was a lifelong friend and ardent supporter of the Faculty of Law. He was a thoughtful advisor to every Dean, and was always ready to assist his school.  He was instrumental in the Faculty's Laskin Library campaign, among many other volunteer contributions.  In 1987, the law school presented him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, in recognition of his outstanding achievements and dedication to the legal community.  In 1996, Torys LLP and its partners endowed the Faculty's first academic chair, the James Marshall Tory, Q.C. Dean’s Chair, currently held by Dean Mayo Moran. The Faculty of Law was delighted to welcome Jim back for our Convocation ceremony in 2012,  when Jim presented the gold medal to the top graduating student -  60 years after receiving that same honour.

The Faculty of Law wishes to express our deepest condolences to Jim Jr., and the entire Tory family.  Jim was an exceptional graduate and a remarkable person, and we will miss him.  

A celebration of his life will be held on Wednesday, September 4th at 2:00 pm at the Cathedral of St. James, King St. at Church St., Toronto, followed by a reception at Torys LLP, 33rd floor, TD South Tower, TD Centre. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the James Tory Fund for Studies in Business Law, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, 84 Queen's Park, Toronto, M5S 2C5, or to a charity of your choice.

Read the obituary in the Globe and Mail.

If you have any questions regarding making a donation to the law school, please contact Sean Ingram at sean.ingram@utoronto.ca or 416-978-1353