Robert William Metzger

Robert (Bob) William Metzger had a remarkable life and he lived it well in the company of lively family, many friends and wonderful colleagues. He died peacefully at the age of 83 in Victoria after a lengthy illness. Bob was born in what was then Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) to Wilhelm and Lydia (Wutzke) Metzger. His primary and secondary education were all in Port Arthur before stepping out to earn his way through several university degrees. The variety of jobs, from bank teller to correctional officer to bartender to fire tower operator to assistant manager at The Bay (among others), grounded him in an appreciation of humanity that stood him well in his career as a lawyer and judge. Bob graduated from Ryerson Institute of Technology (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in 1963 with a degree in Business Administration before studying Honours Psychology at Simon Fraser University. He earned his law degree at the University of British Columbia in 1973 and articled at Lawrence & Shaw in Vancouver. In 2011 he received an honorary Doctor of Laws from his alma mater Ryerson University.

Bob was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1974 and practiced law in many places in the province. He began his legal career in Prince George before moving to Prince Rupert to start his own law firm. In Prince Rupert he was a member of the Justice Council, the Junior Chamber of Commerce and President of Prince Rupert County Bar Association. Bob then moved to Victoria to join Bruce Buckler, Trudi Brown and Judy Millikan to form the firm Buckler and Metzger. As a lawyer he practised in areas of civil litigation, family and corporate and criminal law. Bob was appointed as a judge to the Provincial Court in 1980 where he sat in Courtenay, Duncan and Victoria. After serving as an administrative judge, he was appointed as Associate Chief Judge of the Provincial Court in 1989. He co-chaired the Courts Equality Committee and was a member of the Provincial Judicial Council. In 1995, Bob was appointed Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia. He spent 20 years at the Provincial Court before his appointment to the Supreme Court in 2000 where he remained until his retirement in 2013.

“As a jurist, Bob was seen as a progressive visionary and a thoughtful judicial officer. He saw his role, in part, to help the public understand the judicial system. He challenged the courts to find new ways of solving disputes, and promoted dramatic changes in court processes to use public resources efficiently while protecting individual rights.”

While a judge, he continued his penchant for having part-time “jobs.” He “ran” a used car business over the years as his buying whims got the better of him. He spent years at home improvement, luckily limiting his efforts to only 10 years at remodeling family homes. His wide-ranging interests made him a pen, record and art collector. He was an avid cyclist, adding many bicycles to his garage over the years. His musical tastes ran from blues to jazz to classical and pop, and he read widely. He was known as an individual who attacked any new interest with vigor, whether fishing, running or taking-up piano playing to achieve his Grade III. He was also known as a constant and caring friend, always remembering birthdays and keeping in touch with friends near and far right up until his death. And much to his and their credit, that included his former wives, Gloria and Catherine and their husbands and families. He could butt heads with colleagues but always with immense civility, propriety and commitment to high ideals and initiated respectful and considerate conversation. He had a great sense of humour and appreciated the irony and wonkiness in life. As a colleague said, “he was witty, humane, thoughtful, and kind.”

His friends will miss him greatly as will his caring companion, younger brother James Metzger. Bob’s wife Susan Phillips Metzger, son William and daughter Kat (Kenny and granddaughters) mourn his passing and wonder how life will take shape without this big and loving personality. In lieu of flowers and if you would like to honour Bob’s memory, a donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada would be gratefully accepted.

A celebration of Bob’s life will take place April 20, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at First Memorial, 4725 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to bobmetzgermemorialservice@gmail.com.