It is with great sadness the Mack family announces Cameron (Cam) Mack passed away unexpectedly in Victoria, BC on May 28, 2016 at the age of sixty-three. Cam was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta where he attended Lord Beaverbrook High school before beginning his post-secondary education at the University of Calgary. In 1974, Cam married the love of his life, high school sweetheart Lorraine, and began a marriage that would last for forty-two years. After three years at the University of Calgary, Cam was accepted into Law School at the University of Alberta and graduated, with distinction, in 1977 before being called to the Alberta Bar in 1978. Cam’s legal career began at Mackimmie Matthews, where he eventually served as a partner. In 1999, he joined forces with his friend from law school, Michael Smith, and spent the remainder of his career as a partner with the Calgary law firm Smith Mack Lamarsh before retiring this year. As a lawyer in Calgary for over thirty-four years, Cam developed a reputation as an unfailingly kind, helpful, honest, and hard-working community member with great integrity. He touched the lives of countless individuals. This well-earned reputation was reflected in 1997 when Cam was awarded the Rotary Club of Calgary’s Integrity Award. In fact, Cam was the recipient of numerous community and professional awards, distinctions, and accolades during his life. Although each of those was well-deserved, Cam’s sincerely humble and selfless nature generally resulted in him downplaying the majority of his achievements and avoiding any attempts to accept the praise which he was consistently due. In addition to his professional life, Cam was a man of faith and an avid volunteer who supported many local causes in Calgary and Victoria such as Alcoholics Anonymous, the Mustard Seed Street Ministry in Calgary, the Special Needs Ministry at Centre Street Church in Calgary, and (most recently) Victoria Hospice. Without question, Cam was well-loved and respected by all those who knew him. Cam was also a master of trivia and a highly knowledgeable connoisseur of great music and he was able to pass this attribute to his children. He also loved playing the guitar and often looked back fondly to his time as a member of the Calgary cover band The Empty Calories. Cam also passed his love of the outdoors along to his children. He enjoyed hiking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing, and kayaking and swimming in Thetis Lake on Vancouver Island with his grandchildren David and Abby. Cam moved to Victoria, BC with his wife Lorraine in 2012 and was in the process of beginning his well-deserved retirement.
The most important part of Cam’s life was his family and he made no secret of how much he loved his wife, his children, and his grandchildren whom he loved and felt great pride. Cam will be loved, remembered, and missed eternally by his wife of 42 years, Lorraine; his sons Kyle (Nazeli) and Kevin (Kathy) Mack; his daughter Julia Mack; his grandchildren David, Abby, and future grandchild due in June. He is also survived by his sisters Diane (Darryl) Smith and Maureen Cotton; his mother-in law Henriette Moir; sisters and brothers-in-law Carol and Peter Emerson, Susan and Don Quinn, Brian and Jacquie Moir, James Moir and Bruce and Lydia Moir, and numerous nieces and nephews. Cam was predeceased by his father, Harry Gordon Mack, his mother, Leona Margaret Mack, and his father-in-law, David Alexander Moir.
For those wishing to remember Cam as he would have wanted, we invite you to reflect upon one of Cam’s favourite quotations:
“Years ago my mother used to say to me, she’d say, ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be’ – she always called me Elwood- ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.’ Well for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.” Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart)
Details of Cam’s memorial service (likely to take place in Calgary during mid-summer) will be announced once they are finalized.
In lieu of flowers, the Mack family asks that donations, in the name of Cam Mack, be made to either the Victoria Hospice (Victoria, BC) or the Special Needs Ministry at the Centre Street Church in Calgary.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall’s Funeral Home
www.mccallbros.com
34 Responses
Dear Mack Family – I am an attorney in New York who worked with Cam over the years. I learned of Cam’s passing this morning. I know that my words will not assuage the grief that you must still feel over your loss, but I did want to offer you my most sincere condolences. Lawyering can be a very cynical profession. For me, my interaction with Cam brought me a much needed reminder that lawyers can be gentlemanly. One definition of “gentlemanly” includes the adjectives courteous and honorable. These words best sum up Cam. He was a true gentleman, of high moral character and conviction, and demonstrating the single biggest attribute that everyone wants in a lawyer and a friend: integrity. I will never forget him. Warmest regards, John
Lorraine and family-Maureen and I and our daughter Kerry-Anne were so saddened to have heard of Cam’s passing. Recently- as Cam predictably had reached out to provide some guidance to Kerry-Anne in her search for an articling position-she and I had the pleasure of having lunch with Cam at his favorite spot. She had to first suffer through Cam and I reminiscing about the old days going back to the early 70’s, but was well rewarded with Cam’s sincere interest, guidance and advice. It was so great to see Cam again and we were so grateful for his efforts with Kerry-Anne, which of course he would downplay. Every once in awhile we come a cross a person like Cam who is the “real deal”-down to earth, humble, genuine, honest, sincere and most of all, so willing to help others. You know that he was highly regarded and so well respected in our profession. We are so privileged and grateful that he touched our lives as he did. He will be deeply missed. With condolences, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Lorraine and Family,
Christine and I were very saddened when we heard of Cam’s passing. We can only imagine the pain to you and all your family. Cam touched a lot of people along the way, especially myself in my working life and I will never forget the calm and gentlemanly way in which he dealt with any problems. He also worked on personal matters for us and if you remember we had occasion to go to the Rosebud theatre together. It was indeed and honour to have known him and grieve with you and your family on this tremendous early loss of a great man.
We are sorry that we will be unable to attend the Memorial to Cam in Calgary as we will be in Edmonton for a family wedding, but our thoughts and prayers will be with you all.
Lorraine and family
Having recently heard of Cams passing I’m still in shock and disbelief ……………. this can not be true!
I consider myself as having received “a life reward” for having had the opportunity to have known Cam for some 30 + years. I have never met anyone with as much compassion, honesty, dedication and integrity as Cam. He was a true friend and a very compassionate confidante.
Lorraine and family please accept our sincere condolences.