Paul Jeffries

An athletic and musically gifted child, though always self-identified “city-kid at heart”, our dad, with a political science degree under his belt from McMaster, wide eyed and fresh out of law school at Western, went on to article and then eventually work at his first big firm. Eventually, after some years spent helping troubled youth and after his days at the firm, he went on to private practice where he met our mother, got married and had two wonderful children; first a boy, Andrew, and two years later, a little girl, Kristina. Our dad spent many great years with us visiting old castles, tobogganing in the winter, teaching us how to swim, ride bikes, and eventually drive cars. He was always enthusiastic for opportunities to carefully guide us through new experiences, never slow to bestow as much wisdom upon us as he could, about life, people, and the world we live in. We remember countless nights spent looking up at the stars, debating philosophy, politics, technology, and the possible meaning of it all. Days spent driving us to and from school and our many after school activities, swimming lessons, MMA sessions, braces tightening, soccer practices, singing lessons, wrestling practices, as well as endless evenings taking Kristina to and even occasionally coaching her at soccer games.

Our dad who was later diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis always had a “mind over matter” attitude. Prior to having us, he had a very active life. He played football all throughout highschool and later took up tennis, squash, golf, skiing (including a ski trip in the Alps) and even an adventurous white-water rafting trip. Nothing slowed him down. As the years went by, though his gradually declining mobility and dexterity began to impede on small day-to-day normalities, his mind remained as sharp as ever and he was eventually selected to pioneer a new practice as review council at the Law Society alongside a few initial hires who, over the years, became a whole department of close colleagues. After numerous day trips to varying law offices, and occasional overnight business stays which he sometimes took as opportunities for exciting one night getaways with us, with a growing need for physical accommodation, but with a company which never failed to keep important work he did for them accessible to him, he eventually found himself working more and more locally, and then mostly from the comfort of his own home. Akin to the open door policies of the coolest professors we’ve surely all had one or two of over the years, we always found him at his home desk with an eager ear to lend, and solid advice to offer, because the only thing more entertaining to him than solving problems in the most broadly beneficial ways he could manage, was helping and teaching others to do the same.

Retirement was difficult at first, like it is for so many people, not just because of how passionate he was about his work, but because of how short-lived the experience was before the world found itself in a new and highly isolating global situation. Still though, he made the best of it, watching old favourites from the DVD collection he’d slowly amassed over the years, in between the many John Grisham novels he found to be so enjoyable. Just as the world seemed to be coming back to life, and some sense of normalcy was lighting the way to a more socially gratifying chapter of his retirement, our dad was unfortunately diagnosed with lung cancer. As if the news that he had only six months to live wasn’t jarring enough, the rapid onset of the disease left little to be done with what few weeks he actually did have, aside from spending them with us.


After decades of slowly feeling less and less like the athletic and musical city kid, his life which he experienced in the few weeks after his diagnosis was very difficult for everyone. In his last days, he enjoyed Christmas dinner with us, freshly baked cookies, and his favourite Christmas movie. After the cancer, the pain, and the medication all became his whole world, he managed to sit back up just one more time to offer what we worried we had all seen the last of; some lighthearted joking around, comforting reminiscing, and hopeful final wishes. On December 30, 2021, at about 9 p.m., our dad passed away in his home as he always wished to be able to do, in the company of the people he wanted to do it with.

Our dad will be laid to rest with his parents, but he lives on through every effect he’s had in this world, through the people whose lives he’s touched, and especially through us. We will miss you dad and you will be forever in our hearts!

Family and friends will be received at the Ward Funeral Home "Brampton Chapel" on Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

To safely manage and adhere to current social distancing requirements, please RSVP for the visitation. Wearing of masks or face coverings by everyone remains mandatory as per provincial regulations.

Due to current circumstances surrounding pandemic restrictions, the service and the interment will be private.