John Weisdorf

Dear Weisdorf Family, Please accept my condolences on the loss of an extremely kind mind. He was always there for me to listen and to give advice. He will be missed. May your memories of him comfort you in this time of grief.

My family stands silently with yours, and we offer our condolences to you Chris, your family and the greater families.

Chris, Ashley, Stella and family: John was a trailblazer in the areas of freedom of speech, civic, civil and human rights, immigration law, and ensuring representation for those who could not otherwise afford it. Some of the positions he took, and defendants he defended, were not without controversy, but that is not unusual for trailblazers. You were lucky to have him as a father, and Canada was lucky to have had John Weisdorf as an activist citizen and legal attorney. Fortunately, he had a long, fulsome and impactful life. Sincere condolences.

So sorry to hear about his passing. He was very generous with his time and such a intelligent and passionate man. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with John. Thank you Chris. Anything that I can do to help just call. I will answer. Regards David Carter

My heartfelt condolences to John's family. I met John in 1963. I was a law student and he was managing a project in the Toronto Magistrates Courts to provide free legal services to people charged with criminal offenses who could not afford pay a lawyer. Yes, absolutely the very first steps for what several years later became Legal Aid in Ontario. I know from my frequent contacts with him over the years that, in his heart, he was totally devoted to Justice: "Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof." He was one of the "good guys"! Alav ha-shalom.

Dear Chris, my deepest condolences to you and your family at this sad time. May your father rest in peace.

He was a great man and a friend of my father's; he will be missed.

John was a tenant in our building for 34 years He was always a pleasure to deal with We considered him a member of our family Always interesting to talk to and admired his home library He was a mentch And will be sorely missed

My sincere condolences to the family. I met Jack as a student when he worked essentially was a paid volunteer travelling throughout the province defending persons who could not afford a lawyer. There were no "legal aid" lawyers in the 60's. I believe there was a "stipend" from the law society but along with Alan Mintz he was the only hope for anyone in Ontario for the poor. As we met over the years I always enjoyed chatting with him. Too bad there was not a history book written about those times. He was a very nice person. Danny Kayfetz

I am sorry to learn of John’s passing. John, was always a fine colleague and I enjoyed very much the short time we spent together. He was not a typical foreign service officer and that’s what made his company so appealing. Diplomatic life can be so formal but that was just not John. John, your timing was perfect and in these perilous times you knew when to head for the door. Rest in peace my friend. My sincere condolences to the family, Peter Current, Canadian Embassy The Hague 1966 -1971.

John was an icon. He was one of a kind. I met John through my dad in the mid to late 1990s, he would visit our house for lunches and dinners with my dad, and I was a high school student at the time, I remember. Then in 2005 when I started my own business, John was one of my first customers. He would visit me quite a bit and share his knowledge, help me draft agreements, and provide me with assistance where needed. I learned a lot about how to draft agreements, and overall he helped me improve my writing skills. As well along the way, lawsuits, he assisted me wholly and everyone knew "Jack" as they called him whenever I was in court, even the judges knew him. After all he was one of the last remaining QC's. I got to know Chris and Ashley over the years and Stella as well. Many get-togethers, meetings, banquets, and conferences were attended. over the last 15 years or so, and that is when I really got to know him in my adult life, I am glad I had him in my life. John use to email me articles late night around 2 or 3 am in the morning while I was also a night owl, the articles were always welcome, and intriguing reads, he would look out for me in a way, and it felt good to know that someone is thinking of you. In 2016 when I got married, John was one of the chief guests and was on the head table, it was an honour to have him and the family attend. His take on life was always positive, even in the worst circumstances, he would give it a spin that just lifted everyone's spirits. I can still see him using his picture approach with his hands and trying to the problem at hand. I will always remember him smiling and even in the hospital towards the end when I met him on February 21st, he was smiling and positive and remembered the good times we shared throughout our friendship. I could not visit him after that day again because of the COVID-19 lockdown, I wanted him to meet my son, but sadly I only showed him a picture, but he was still happy to see the picture. I will miss John.

My lovely Weisdorf Stella, Ash and Chris please accept my condolences. Kind regards President of Shuttle Moving Company Eduard Makhnyev

I just learned of Jack's passing and want to express my condolences to his family. I met Jack in the 1990's in relation to a criminal law file. Thereafter we shared several files and several dinners. We were at opposite ends of our career at that point; I was starting out and he had done it all but was not winding down. His devotion to his clients in particular and justice and fairness generally were so apparent. It was inspiring to see someone go through their entire career without losing this passion for justice and fairness. My condolences.