James Ross Loken

 

James Ross Loken (1948-2011)

James Loken was born July 13th, 1948 in Toronto and entered paradise at his Cobourg residence, May 14th, 2011. He is the beloved husband of Johanne Loken, nee Mainville, and is survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.

James was the only son of Glenn Embret Loken of Quebec and Florence Ethel Stephenson of Omemee, who was a relation of the family of Flora McCrea Eaton, wife of Toronto department store president, Sir John Craig Eaton.

James’s parents moved to Omemee where James won the most beautiful baby contest. He grew up in the Stephenson family homestead near the Pigeon River where his grandfather was a mill owner with other businesses, including the general store.

The young family moved to Cobourg in the 1950s where James attended Gummow School and, Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East and West. He worked as a reporter for the Cobourg Daily Star, was the European correspondent for the Sunday Post of Canada and the founder of the Cobourg Guardian (e-journal) 1997. He wrote many articles on justice and architecture for Maclean’s Magazine and was a freelance journalist.

James obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian History and Political Science from Carleton University (1974), a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B., 1978) and a Bachelor of Civil Law (LL.L., 1980) from University of Ottawa, and a degree in Philosophy of Law from the University of Paris (Panthéon – Assas), Paris, France (1979). He was admitted to the Quebec Bar (1981) and called to the Bar of Ontario (Law Society of Upper Canada, Osgoode Hall, Toronto, 1987).

He articled with the Montreal international law firm of Phillips & Vineberg where he met his wife, Johanne, and they married at sea. He was a lawyer in private practice in the village of Campbell’s Bay, Quebec, where his paternal family lived since the 1880’s. He was a board member and president of the community radio station offering bilingual programming - La Radio du Pontiac, in Fort-Coulonge (1983-1985). He was appointed by the Quebec government as a returning officer for the provincial riding of Pontiac, as a returning officer responsible for the organization of elections and referenda, and was a Federal Prosecutor in the judicial district of Pontiac, Quebec. Later he worked as a Legislation Specialist in the Business Investment Programs Branch, 1988-92, as Senior Counsel, Legal Services Branch, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and as a Senior Legislation Design Specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Finance (1994-2009) in Toronto.

James was an avid reader of history, philosophy, music, and history of film and spoke French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. He also enjoyed travelling and sailing. He was the founder of the Cobourg Beautification Trust, a Cobourg LACAC member, and a Board member of the CHO where he was appointed as a Corporate Solicitor. He was a generous supporter of the Cancer Society, the cause of literacy, the IAMAT organization and a member of Lawyers Without Borders.

Following cremation a Memorial Visitation and Gathering will be held at the Reception Centre of MacCoubrey Funeral Home, 30 King St. E. in Cobourg on Friday 20 May 2011 from 11:00 am until 2 pm.  James will be interred later at the Greenwich Plantation, located at the Bonaventure Cemetery of historic Savannah, Georgia. Condolences received at www.MacCoubrey.com

James will be sorely missed by his beloved wife, Johanne, his extensive family, and his many friends.