John Francis Leighton

With characteristic decisiveness, on just a few hours notice, John Francis Leighton - husband, father, grandfather, brother-in-law, cousin, uncle, friend and truly honourable soul, set off for his next great adventure. He was 89.

John died March 19, following surgery at Vancouver General Hospital.

John was born and spent his early years in Victoria, fascinating his offspring decades later with stories of sharing the streets with Emily Carr, her cart and monkey, during the early Depression years. By the time he started school, John, his siblings and parents Percivale (aka Pug) and Laura (Lee) had moved to Duncan, B.C. John remained there with his family until moving to Vancouver to study law at the University of B.C., graduating in 1953.

Among his greatest achievements after graduation were meeting and marrying lifetime co-conspirator Heather (Rose) in 1956 and submitting his resume to the federal government for potential postings overseas.

The former achievement paid off almost immediately with four children. The latter culminated in 1971 when, out-of-the-blue, he was asked by the Canadian International Development Agency to take his insurance law specialty, and his family, to Africa to assist in the creation of a nationalized insurance system in Uganda. The posting was cut short by the uncertainties of the Idi Amin dictatorship, but the remarkable friendships and experiences from that time enriched his life and his career.

John returned to British Columbia to become among the first employees of the newly formed Insurance Corporation of B.C., where, as a gifted legal draftsman, he helped guide vehicle insurance in the province for almost 30 years. He had a before-his-time vision of a corporation truly devoted to the needs of drivers. It was a principle that didn’t always win him friends, but a principle that, like all his others, John never abandoned. Honour, truth and plain hard work were his examples and his lasting legacy to his children.

Among John’s other talents, he could, (with room to spare,) pack a hippopotamus into the trunk of a Plymouth Fury II, along with all the other vacation must-haves required by a family of six, (just stay out of his way while he was doing it.)

Gun Lake became John and Heather’s second home after retirement. There John coaxed mounds of vegetables from his garden, laid waste to any strung line — be it Hydro or clothes — while happily felling trees with his chainsaw. He also terrified family and woodland creatures alike during spirited, barely-controlled forays with the tractor.

John is survived by Heather, children Margaret (Fred), Beth (Drew), Ian (La) and Al (Sheila) as well as grandchildren Liz, Gillian, Meg, Glen, and Sheila’s sons Scott and Murray and grandson, Cypress.

The last of his generation John is predeceased by his brothers Fred, Lee, Chuck (Shirley) and sister Peggy, and, his infant grandson, Jack.

A memorial service and reception will be held April 15, 2018 at 1 p.m. at Mountainview Cemetery Celebration Hall, 5455 Fraser Street. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Pivot Legal Foundation which works to improve the legal and human rights of the most marginalised members of our community - a cause close to John's very big heart. 121 Heatley Avenue, Vancouver BC or pivotlegal.org.