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John Robert Varley M.A., J.D.
September 20, 1947 - August 27, 2015
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<div itemprop="description">Died peacefully after a long illness at age 67 on Thursday, the 27th day of August, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario. Priscilla Healy, his partner in law and life, and their daughters Margaret and Catherine were close by.<br /><br />He was brother to the late Thomas Varley (Lee), Janet Dunk (the late Darrel) and Wayne Varley (Nancy), uncle to Kevin Varley (Deborah), Keith Varley, Terri-Lynn Dunk (Jack), Tamara Tucker (Shawn), Niki Pattison (Rob) and David Dunk (Lee Ann).<br /><br />From 1965 to 1969, John attended the School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University on a full scholarship, active there in the Model Parliament, as Vice-President of the Student Council, on the University President&rsquo;s Advisory Council, a Centennial Year Parliamentary Guide and as a delegate to the 1968 Liberal Leadership convention.. He attended York University to obtain his Master&rsquo;s degree in Economics &amp; Political Science, 1970, and served as a teaching fellow in Canadian Government.<br /> <br />After a year organizing college and high school students all across Canada for Pierre Trudeau (and on occasion acting as baby-sitter for Justin Trudeau), serving on the National Executive of the Liberal Party and then as President of the World Federation of Liberal Youth, John applied to the Osgoode Hall Law School, from which he graduated in 1974. While at law school he created and taught a course at Glendon College, won several debating trophies, served two years on the executive of the legal fraternity Phi Delta Phi (and was chosen as it&rsquo;s International Graduate of the year), played in the Mock Trial, was elected to represent the students on the Hogg Long-Range Academic Committee (which entrenched clinical education for the school), was Research Assistant to Prof. Brian Bucknall in creating a text in personal property law, edited two editions of the Glendon College text &ldquo;Materials on the Politics of Law&rdquo;, was an editor on the Law Journal and won numerous scholarships a prizes.<br /> <br /> John articled under John Sopinka Q.C., Walter Williston Q.C., Ronald Rolls Q.C. and R.N. Robertson Q.C. of the Fasken firm, was called to the Bar in 1976 and was then appointed to serve as a Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of Ontario, before returning in 1977 to practice insolvency and Commercial List Court work as an Associate, then Partner, at Faskens. John moved his practice to Miller Thomson in 1994, as a Consultant, then Partner. In 2002-2008, John practiced at Pallett Valo as Senior Counsel. In 2008 until his retirement, John was a Partner at Fogler Rubinoff. Thereafter he joined First Principles Communications.<br /><br />As well as life long political involvement, John did volunteer work, including over fifteen years with Out of the Cold, three years service on the Board of the Phi Delta Phi Ontario Society,12 years on the Board of the Osgoode Hall Alumni Association, several roles at Anglican parishes, fundraising for Wilfrid Laurier University, six years chairing the Anglican Synod&rsquo;s Secretariat for Government Relations, Senior Managing Director of the legal access charity JusticeNet, and working with the Board of the Royal York Gardens Tenant&rsquo;s Association, volunteering at Pro Bono Law Ontario , and joining the All Saints&rsquo; Kingsway Anglican Church Social Justice team. He often said that volunteer work always gave him back so much more than his efforts required of his time and energy. His generosity and practical help to scores of private individuals was known only to his family. <br /> <br />John gave back to his profession, in teaching, writing and on legal association committees. He was a member, then Chair, of the OBA Personal Property Security Committee, active on the executives of the Business Law, the Insolvency Law and the Pension and Benefits Law Sections of the OBA; member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, Osgoode Society, Advocates Society, Turnaround Management Association, Association of Canadian Pension Management, The Legal Advisory Committee of the Tribunal, Financial Services Commission of Ontario and of the Canadian Insolvency Foundation; and Contributing Author for the Canadian Bankers&rsquo; Association education programme materials.<br /> <br />In addition to his three years of teaching at Glendon College, John was an Ontario Bar Admission Course Instructor in Debtor &amp; Creditor Law for five years, a Lecturer in Receivership Law for three years and twice a Law Society Special Lecturer. He assisted for a term in the Osgoode Hall Ll.M. in Insolvency Law, and was a lecturer at the 2009 Law Society Annual Real Estate Law Summit. John gave numerous presentations for professional seminars.<br /> <br />A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at 2:00pm at All Saints&rsquo; Kingsway Anglican Church, 2500 Bloor Street West, Toronto. Friends are also invited to pay their respects on Tuesday from 7 to 9:00pm at Turner &amp; Porter, 4933 Dundas Street West. If desired, memorial donations can be made to All Saints&rsquo; Kingsway or to the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Office. The family is hugely grateful to the staff of St. Joseph&rsquo;s Health Centre for their care and compassion during John&rsquo;s last two months.<br /></div>