The Greatest Generation
One of my partners likes to point out that we are in the “business of death”. The phrase is a bit morose, but probably accurate. One of the things we therefore do around here is look at the daily Globe & Mail obituaries. Many estate practitioners scan the obituaries in their local newspaper to see whether a client has passed away. From a professional point of view, if a lawyer was named as estate trustee because he/she drafted the Will, they take on fiduciary obligations.
In any event, I try to approach obituaries with a positive spin. I often read an obituary with admiration for the remarkable life lived. Most of the obituaries I read canvass the lives of a generation that is often called the “greatest generation”. Many of the people I read about survived the depression as children or young adults and lived through World War II with all its agony, grief and sacrifice. They greeted the prosperity of the 1950s with relief after a long war, witnessed and ultimately embraced the social revolution of the 1960s, raised successful children (baby boomers) who themselves are changing the face of Canadian society. The greatest generation is, in fact, a testament to what can be accomplished when hard work, sacrifice and compassion are brought to bear.
It was along these lines that I read with interest the recent passing of Anna Marie De Sousa. Mrs. De Sousa, along with her husband, was a shining star when it came to charitable fundraising in Toronto. She was the founder of the Brazilian Ball, a wild extravaganza held every year to raise money for charity (the recipient changes every year). I never met Mrs. De Sousa, but I certainly read about her in the newspaper and the success that her Brazilian Ball ultimately came to represent. The glittering elite of Toronto would come out to watch scantily clad Brazilian dancers and raise millions of dollars for a good cause. No doubt, there will be follow-up tributes to her life in more detail than the obituary that recently appeared in the Globe & Mail. However, she is an inspiration to many of us. Much can be accomplished in life if we set out mind to it. She made Toronto a better place and there are many others who strive to do the same.
Justin
