Garret Cooligan

April 25th, 1928 - January 3rd, 2018

Peacefully in his home, with his wife and children by his side, Garret Joseph Cooligan passed away on January 3, 2018, in his 90th year. He will be profoundly missed by his cherished wife of 60 years, Rachel Cooligan (née Lapointe), his much loved children, Daniel (Jan), Michael (Jacqueline), Roxanne (Stuart), Andrée (Jaana) and Noëlle (Sean) and his grandchildren, who brought great pride and joy to his life: Fiona, Benjamin, Sara, Colin and Michael. Predeceased by his parents, Michael and Eileen (Sheridan) Cooligan, and his brothers, Ralph (late Carmen) and Victor (late Marilyn). He will be sadly missed by his siblings Milton (Dorothy), Maureen (late Frank), Betty (Mike), Desmond (Shirley) and Neil (Irene), his many nieces and nephews and extended family including Veronique Bonnick and Marcelle Lapointe. Garret was a devoted and dedicated husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. He was a man of great strength, honour, integrity, love and faith: a gentleman and a gentle man.

His legal career as a highly respected litigation lawyer in Ottawa spanned 57 years. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1954, and was a founding partner of the law firm Beahen & Cooligan in 1956, and of Cooligan, Ryan, McNeely, Montague and Connolly in 1974, later named Cooligan Ryan. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1971. He appeared at all levels of Court in Ontario and before the Supreme Court of Canada, with many of his cases establishing legal doctrine in insurance law. He was a founding member of the Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Ottawa and of the Medical Legal Society of Ottawa Carleton. He acted as a mediator and pre-trial judge for many years. Garret was a pillar of the legal community and was honoured by his peers in The Advocates’ Society in 2000. He retired from the practice of law in December 2011.

Garret was a man of faith, and for over 60 years a dedicated parishioner at Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church. He was an avid golfer and a member of The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club for more than 50 years. His love of travel and adventure brought him around the world often, leaving cherished memories for Rachel. He loved the game of Bridge, achieving the rank of Bronze Life Master, and was the Director of the Alta Vista Bridge Club for many years.

The family would like to thank the many nurses, doctors and support workers for their excellent care through these past years. Special thanks to Adele and Max.

Family and friends may pay respects at the McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home at 1411 Hunt Club Road (at Albion) in Ottawa, on Tuesday, January 9th, 2018, from 7-9 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at Resurrection of Our Lord Church at 1940 Saunderson Drive, Ottawa, on Wednesday, January 10th, 2018, at 11 a.m. The service will be followed by a reception in the parish hall.

In memoriam donations to a charity of your choice, in lieu of flowers, would be appreciated.