Edward James HOUSTON

The Honourable Edward James Edward James Houston, retired justice of the Superior Court of Ontario, passed away at Ottawa on May 27th, 2003. He was predeceased in 1995 by his wife, Mary Verrall (McKay), formerly of Cambridge (Galt), Ontario and was the beloved father of William (Virginia) of Ottawa and James (Barbara Kelly) of Halifax, and the cherished Grampa of Thomas, Ted, Peter and Kate. Ed was the brother of the late Alfred (Grosse Pointe, Michigan), Clarence (Montreal), Stuart (Arnprior) and Robert (Ottawa), and is survived by his sister, Zella Kent (East Pointe, Michigan) as well as his sister-in-law, Edna Houston of Ottawa. He will also be greatly missed by many nieces and nephews and dear friend Irene Ogilvie. Ed was born at Arnprior, Ontario on September 15, 1918, the son of Thomas Harrison Houston and Frances Semark Houston. Following graduation from Arnprior High School in 1935, where he had quarterbacked the football team to the Eastern Ontario finals, he went to work in northern Ontario at Schumacher and South Porcupine where he met lifelong friend, the late Senator J.J. (Joe) Greene. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and following bomber crew training in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, shipped out from Halifax on the Queen Elizabeth. Following completion of training at Honeybourne, Hertfordshire. Ed was posted to Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire, with the 426 Squadron RCAF. Following bombing missions completed over Magdeburg, Hamburg, Brunswick, and Berlin, he was shot down on the night of January 28, 1944 over Berlin with five of his crew, including Pilot Flight Lieutenant Arthur Martens, who had kept his Lancaster aloft after hit while Ed and two other crew evacuated. He spent the rest of 1944 and 1945, prior to escaping in April, 1945 in POW camps in Hydekrug, East Prussia and Gros Tychow, Germany. After repatriation in May 1945, he was assigned to fly bombers to British Columbia for use in the war against Japan. Ed left the service with the rank of Flying Officer and entered the University of Toronto in September 1945, assisted by his veterans' benefits. Following graduation from University College in 1947, he entered Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto where he graduated and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1950, and served as assistant Crown Attorney at Ottawa. From 1952 to 1975, Ed was a partner at the law firm that for many years was known as Mirsky, Soloway, Assaly and Houston (subsequently Soloway, Wright, Houston, Galligan and Killeen). He was privileged to practice with leading members of the Ottawa Bar, several of whom went on to serve with distinction in the Ontario judiciary. During 1970 and 1971, he served as Vice President of the Advocate's Society. In 1975, Ed was appointed to the Ontario bench. From 1978 to 1981, he served as a Commissioner of the Law Reform Commission of Canada where his responsibilities focused on reform of the criminal law. Following retirement from the bench in 1993, he worked as an Umpire under the Unemployment Insurance Act and a Commissioner of the Canada Pension Commission, sitting regularly until 2001 and enjoying the opportunity to work across the country. Ed was a keen supporter over the years of the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Ottawa hockey teams. He was an avid golfer and a member of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club for over 40 years, playing actively until the sumêmer of 2001. In 1959, Ed was appointed first President of the Eastern Professional Hockey League, then the most valued source of new talent for the NHL. In 1968, he was appointed by the National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association as the first salary arbitrator for the League and served after 1975 as the first NHL equalization arbitrator for the settling of free agent compensation. The Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame recognized his contribution to sport with his induction as a member in 1989. Friends may pay their respects at the Central Chapel of Hulse, Playfair and McGarry, 315 McLeod Street, Ottawa on Thursday, May 29th from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. The funeral service will be held at St. Bartholomew's Church, 125 MacKay Street, Ottawa on Friday, May 30th, 2003 at 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa - Elisabeth Bruyere Health Centre, 43 Bruyere Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5C8 or the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, 503 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 1C4.