L. WAYNE DREWRY Q.C.
July 18, 1939 – July 20, 2019
Tall, white-haired and elegant, Wayne Drewry was a remarkable man.
Proudly born/raised in Regina and high-schooled in Germany, Wayne served as an officer in the Canadian Navy Reserve while at the University of Saskatchewan. After graduating from law school, he articled with McLeod Dixon in Calgary and then joined the Emery Jamieson firm in Edmonton where he spent 30 years leading its litigation department and mentoring a stream of young lawyers. He was an outstanding advocate and set the bar high for himself and others. Earning a reputation for fairness, passion and integrity, Wayne was respected by his colleagues at the Bar and on the Bench.
In his volunteer hours Wayne taught at the University of Alberta Law School and in the Alberta Trial Advocacy program and served as Commissioner of the Edmonton Police Service. In 1994 he left all this to move East where he enjoyed retirement in Toronto and at his lake cottage.
Wayne played basketball, swam, cycled, kayaked, scuba-dived, travelled, hiked, golfed, and trekked in Nepal. He was fiercely loyal, quietly generous, kind, shy and impossibly romantic. He understood the concept of honour. He loved music and contemporary art, theatre, Zen simplicity, J.S. Bach, Bill Evans and Mark Rothko, the perfect espresso, off-shades of green, a sense of order, a fine wit, a good debate, a lengthy biography, an occasional Campari, a dog named Sparky and a cat named Cheddar.
Wayne’s life is celebrated by his sister Lois (Jim) Birnie, brother Richard (Marjie) Drewry, uncle Neil Drewry, and their families, and especially by his inseparable life partner, Susanne Palmer.
A special thank you to everyone at Kensington Gardens and Chester Village whose kindness and compassion created a caring home for Wayne and encircled him with love.
At Wayne’s request there will be no memorial service. Should you wish to honour Wayne’s life, please consider a bequest to Innocence Canada https://innocencecanada.com/donate or to the AMICI Chamber Ensemble (http://amiciensemble.com/support).
Diane Keating
Dear Susanne,
You both fought the good fight and were ennobled by it.Now it’s time to rest,cherish your memories and dare to dream of a new chapter.
Love,Diane from Victoria.
Ms. Chris Skaggs
My condolences to you Susanne and Wayne’s family. I am so sorry to hear that he passed away.
It was a pleasure working with Wayne and getting to know him during the five years he sat as a member of the Edmonton Police Commission. He held the position of Vice-Chair from 1989-1991 and Chair for 1992 and 1993. He is truly well remembered by those who worked with him during that time. My thoughts are with you at this very sad time.