Paul was born in Victoria B.C., the son of Bruce and Alice Pakenham. As a son of a Canadian Navy family, Paul lived in naval port cities on both Canadian coasts and in England. As a child, he had the unique privilege of having travelled on the Queen Mary.
Paul graduated from Claremont High School in Cordova Bay, Victoria B.C. and went on to attend Queen’s Faculty of Law in Kingston, Ontario. He was proud of the wonderful training he received at Queen’s and remained an active alumnus. Paul became a member of the BC Bar in 1979 and practiced throughout the province of British Columbia as a barrister, excelling in criminal and civil litigation. His long distinguished legal career included many successes in high profile cases, jury trials, and successfully arguing before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Paul loved the law, and his passion was evident in his desire to help others. Paul often donated his time and expertise to help people overcome difficult legal problems. He was compassionate and wise. When people turned to him for help, he would put them at ease and walk them through a problem in a very logical way, sharing his advice and breadth of knowledge without hesitation.
Paul mentored many people, including his son, who cherishes the mentorship and working with his father on many legal cases.
Paul’s interests include politics, photography, travelling and a love for animals and gardens. Paul loved the birds and deer that roamed his property. They were so comfortable around him that when gardening, they often remained nearby, close enough to touch. Paul loved his dogs and was particularly attached to Geordie, Towser, and “El Chapo”.
Paul loved and collected cars. Favourites included a Morris Minor, a bright red Aston Martin, a Jaguar, a 1967 Land Rover, a Mini Morris, a collection of Mercedes, and a vintage Norton Motor Cycle.
Family was important to Paul. He was an exceptional and loving father, who was devoted to his son. He had a loving ritual of making Sunday breakfast-in-bed of eggs and soldiers for his wife on Sundays. He took pride in making sure everything was looked after.
We will miss Paul’s fabulous sense of humour and his caring and loving advice rendered without reservation to help us navigate so many of life’s problems. Our little world will never be the same.
A service celebration of Paul’s life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 18th, 2020 at St Michael’s Anglican Church, 1505 5th Avenue, Prince George, B.C. A small reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the Society of St Vincent De Paul
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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