CLASSMATES

The 2008 reunion committee researched the progress of our class in the 35 years since graduation, and published that research, together with additional updates from individuals, in a report titled:  "What's been did;and what's been hid".             TO DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF THAT REPORT, CLICK HERE! 


PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO REGISTER ON THIS PAGE, and upload a short summary of your last FIFTY YEARS.   Failure to do so will invite the penalty of people supplying their own content, true, false or embarassing!  We especially want those of you who cannot make it to the 50th reunion to fill in the blanks for the rest of us who will, no doubt, be fabricating stories about you.

PROFESSOR DAVID PERCY WAS GIVEN A COPY OF "MUGSHOTS" OF THE INCOMING FIRST YEAR CLASS IN 1970.
WHY HE SAVED THESE IS QUITE UNKNOWN, BUT APPRECIATED.
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE PHOTOS: /clients/1/17/179c110d33362137b2a7f82e71262004/File/Class%20of%2073%20Photos.pdf

FOR HIS FORSIGHT AND PATIENCE AND HIS DETAILED RECALLING OF CERTAIN EVENTS ON THE OCASSION OF OUR 45TH REUNION, PROFESSOR DAVID PERCY WAS  INDUCTED AS AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE "CLASS OF '73"

DURING OUR 50TH REUNION, PROF PERCY DAZZLED US ALL WITH HIS RECITATION OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OF OUR PROFS FROM 1970-73.  HE IS AN AMAZING RESOURCE!

Please register so others can see your information

To do so, hit the "add profile" button, fill out the form, upload pics, and "submit"

MEMORIES OF THE STUDY OF LAW

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Grant Rombough

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Comment: Articled in Medicine Hat and practiced here until retiring a few years ago.  Both our daughters live in Medicine Hat (each of them having a boy and a girl) so we get a lot of family and grandparenting time! 

David Rowbotham

Marital status: Married
Children: 6

Orest Rusnak

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 4
Comment: Biography of Orest Rusnak, J.D.


 


From a family of seven (7) children and growing up in Northern Alberta on a farming homestead developed by my father Steve Rusnak, a Ukrainian immigrant, I was the middle child, and the only one to attend the University of Alberta.  After completing undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Arts, I was admitted to the Faculty of Law in 1970.  My first year of studies was in the original location of the Faculty of Law at the Rutherford Library, with two classrooms and administrative offices on the third floor and the Law Library crammed into a small space on the main floor.  This setting was filled with history and nostalgia, and emitted the comfortable atmosphere of the traditional settings associated at that time with the study of law, which I now reflect on with fond memories.


 


During my first year of law studies, I was involved in the initial phases of organizing Student Legal Services to assist people who could not afford a lawyer (which was a radical concept at that time).  During the summer break that followed, I worked at the downtown Boyle Street office as one of the original Student Lawyers.  During this time, I was the first member of Student Legal Services to conduct a civil trial as a legal agent for a client in Provincial Court held in a court room in the basement of the old Court House before Provincial Judge R. Spevakow.  In my second year of law studies, we moved into the new Law Centre, and I was a leading experienced member of Student Legal Services and worked from the newly organized Campus office in the Student Union Building (SUB).  During the summer break, I again worked at the Boyle Street Office as an experienced Student Lawyer, and was the first recipient of a Certificate issued by Student Legal Services for Free Legal Services, as a heartfelt tribute by my colleagues for my wedding on August 12, 1972, and this Certificate was framed and preserved as a valuable artifact of the history of Student Legal Services.  In my third year  of law studies, I became the administrative director of a larger Campus office, and mentored new Student Lawyers on the skills and protocols that would assist them in their careers.  This shared experience of working with colleagues in the study of law, while also helping people who could not afford a lawyer, was gratifying and memorable, and I am proud of the Student Legal Services organization that has evolved from our initial endeavors and our contributions to its success.


 


On completion of my studies at the University of Alberta, I was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree, and recently, I was awarded the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.  I and my family are very proud of these awards, and we are grateful to the University of Alberta for these opportunities for advanced education, and we in turn are supportive of the growth of the University of Alberta and its programs.


 


After graduation from the Faculty of Law, I articled to Rostyk Sadownik (Archibald Edwards law firm) in Edmonton, and then entered private practice with J.N. Gary Mitchell (who became a Provincial Judge) in Whitecourt, Alberta, where I specialized in litigation and criminal cases.  In 1976, I returned to Edmonton to work with Robert Kiss, and later I joined the only full time general practice law office in St. Albert, Alberta which I continued until 1984 when I moved back to Edmonton.  In 1990, my law career ended, and I started my Professional Consulting business, which I have continued to the present, with clients involved in Indigenous projects, new technology innovations, cannabis ventures and real estate development projects.


 


My literary career was launched 30 years ago with the publication of my first non-fiction novel titled “The Lawyer in the Prisoner’s Box”, a critique of our justice system, which became a Canadian Best Seller.  I also authored a book on Canada’s Immigration Laws and Business Opportunities, and I worked as a consultant on a magazine on legal reform, which has evolved to websites on the internet.  In addition, I worked as a Production Consultant on movie projects for productions in Alberta, and for digital animations projects.  These projects have kept the fire within me alive and inspired me to continue my literary pursuits into new mediums of communication, which fascinate me on the potential for national and global access.


 


In 2022, I and my wife Patricia (Pat) celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary, and we reflect on the blessings we have enjoyed, the health challenges we face, and the setbacks we overcame, as we journey on to our sunset years together.  We have four (4) children and now eight (8) grandchildren; the latest two were born in 2022.  Our greatest joy now is to watch each of them grow to see what they become and to cheer and to pray for them into their adult lives.


 


As I reflect on my life, I treasure my experiences at the University of Alberta, my  legal education at the University of Alberta Law School and my Student Lawyer work with Student Legal Services, as these have all shaped my life and prepared me for the diverse opportunities that I have undertaken and also the challenges in our lives.  Many of our lifelong friendships started at the University of Alberta, and the bonds formed there have lasted through the years.  Two of our children attended the University of Alberta, and we proudly attended their graduations.  I am thankful for the support of my wife Pat, our children and grandchildren, and our friends, and for my spiritual faith, all of which has helped and guided me in every step on the road of life.  In summation, as Robert Frost wrote, I took the road less traveled, and that has made all the difference.


 

Jim Skitsko

Now Now
Comment:


Married (Deb) with 3 children and 9 grandchildren. Live in Sherwood Park. Hobbies include travelling and coaching minor football (Sherwood Park RAMS) Also enjoy gardening and part time farming..

ken smith

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 3
Comment: I married my sweetheart, Margaret in May 1970, and we have three children.  One son lives in Salmon Arm, a daughter in Toronto, and one son with his PHD on staff at Sacramento University, California...guess where we like to holiday??


In April 1975, my classmate Dick Meindersma, myself, and our friend Gerald Polack formed a firm and we practised together for 28 years.  For the first 12 years of practice, I did criminal law almost exclusively.  Then I switched to a more general practice, with a specialization in Family Law.  Though based in Edmonton, my practice routinely took me to the NWT's, and I was an active member of both the Alberta and NWT Bars for in excess of 30 years.  In fact, as a direct result of my petitioning to the Alberta Law Society, they decided to create and award membership pins, based on 'years of service'.  In 2002, I decided to retire from private practice, when Jean McBean QC approached myself and two others. She asked if we would consider helping her set up a Legal Aid Family Law Firm for the city of Edmonton.  I reluctantly agree to give it one year; five years later I retired July 1st 2007 (somewhat past my 'best before date')!  We decided to move to the Shuswap, where we built a new home and have never regretted retirement, nor our move.  By the way, for those Albertans who believe that Pigeon Lake is a lake, come visit the Shuswap Lake with 1100+ miles of shore line! My hobbies still include vintage cars, and collecting and restoring antiques, along with: Glee clubs (singing), music (playing), theatre (acting), fishing and boating, and travel.  Unfortunately, there are just not enough days in the weeks to accomplish most of what I attempt.  Margaret and I recently celebrated our 48th anniversary and look forward to many more. Sorry I could not make the reunion, but my thoughts and memories are with my former partners: Dick Meindersma and Gerald Polack, and friends Steve Burgess, Terry Lock, and George Repka.  Have a wonderful time!  Ken

Stephen Stirling (Stirling)

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2

Peter Teasdale (N/A)

Marital status: Married
Children: 1
Comment: Still serving Her Majesty in the Alberta Crown prosecution Service.

Jeannie Watchuk

Marital status: Married
Children: 5