Bill Graham in 2007/Photo by Rod Brito

 

By Bob Rae

August 10, 2022

The death this week of former foreign affairs minister Bill Graham has rightly given rise to many tributes and prompted the sharing of many memories. After a number of health challenges, Bill’s passing was not a complete shock, but for many of us, especially his wife Cathy, his family and many close friends, it has given rise to much well-deserved reflection, appreciation, and indeed celebration.

Since leaving politics in 2007 after an exemplary career, Bill was a much-loved chancellor of Trinity College at the University of Toronto, a philanthropist of great generosity whose gifts to causes he believed in were too many to count, a successful businessman with wide interests, a professor of international law and a practitioner at a time when few lawyers looked worldwide in their commercial and public interests. He was a writer whose memoir The Call of the World stands among the best — a personal and political account of a life in the middle of great events. As minister of both Defence and Foreign Affairs, his eloquence and counsel reflected both Canada’s best interests and his own personal talents. He was a friend, a mentor and a gentleman who was a gentle man, and so much more.

I was lucky to have known him for nearly 50 years, to have shared many of his interests, and to have become a friend both to him and his family. Cathy Graham was his life partner in every sense of the word. More than anything Bill would have wanted the tributes that are being paid to him to be shared with her as well.

First, the man himself. As he describes in his memoir, he was the product of a privileged upbringing in Vancouver and Toronto. Remarkably, he only discovered at his stepfather’s funeral that the man being eulogized that day was actually his biological father — his mother had divorced the man he had thought was his real father five months before he was born and later married the man he had grown up thinking was his adoptive father. When Bill first told me this story he laughed and laughed — his real father was a man of both accomplishment and mystery, qualities which Bill shared in his own way.

He was tall, handsome, funny, charming, with an intelligence that was both subtle and far-reaching. His manner was patrician, but this belied two great qualities — his immense curiosity and his humility. What brought us all into his world were these two great things, as well as his sense of humour. He made fun of himself and others, and his wide grin let you know that he was in on the joke.

Bill’s speeches on all public occasions were marked by his wit, his humanity, and his wide-ranging intelligence. His friendships across a wide range of communities remain a testament to a full life, well-lived.

After completing his doctorate in law at the Sorbonne, Bill began practicing law in Toronto and teaching at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. At the same time, he got actively involved in the Liberal Party and decided to run for the Liberal nomination in the riding then known as Toronto Rosedale. He was defeated by former Toronto mayor David Crombie in the election of 1984, and then by David MacDonald in 1988. Typically of Bill, he remained friends with both. He was successful in the 1993 election, and was named chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, which he said was his favourite job. I remember sharing a cab with him in Ottawa, and he said, “It’s a wonderful job. I don’t really report to anyone, I can pursue interests, I get to travel, I’ve learned how to get along with everyone, and occasionally they ask me my opinion.”

When Paul Martin’s resignation led to John Manley leaving Foreign Affairs for Finance, Bill was appointed Foreign Affairs minister. It was rare for a backbencher to be promoted to such a senior job, but Bill’s long parliamentary service appealed to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, who always appreciated Bill’s abilities, his humour, his loyalty and his sense of decency. Bill, together with Ralph Goodale, was one of the few ministers who would serve in both the Chrétien and Martin governments.

Bill would much have preferred to stay in the Foreign Affairs portfolio, where his talents, experience, and ability to get the best out of a team made him a superb minister. His steady and thoughtful advice on the Iraq war was proven right, and wise. He accepted Paul Martin’s decision to move him to the Defence portfolio with grace, and thoroughly enjoyed that experience — he had been a cadet and a reservist and felt strongly about the importance of the military. For someone whose cabinet tenure was relatively short at four years, he had an immediate and positive impact in portfolios where his experience and respect for the talents and skills of those around him made him a popular and effective minister.

Bill’s long experience in the party and caucus made him a popular choice as interim leader in 2006 after the defeat of the Martin government. Bill loved being a member of Parliament, believed strongly in the institution, and embraced his work in the constituency. He had a strong team behind him (as I was to discover when I succeeded him as the Liberal MP for Toronto Centre in 2007) and his decision to retire from Parliament was not at all an easy one. His emotional farewell speech in the House was dedicated to the theme of civility — “It should be possible to disagree without being disagreeable” he said — and was marked by tributes from friend and foe alike. This was not a pro forma exchange — Bill was known and liked by opponents as well as partisans.

Returning to Toronto, Bill quickly became immersed in giving new life to the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, supporting Trinity College — where he and Cathy had met as students and been married in the chapel — and the Dixon Hall School of Music in Regent Park, and writing the brilliant memoir. He enjoyed his work as chancellor of Trinity, and took all of these roles seriously without taking himself too seriously. Bill’s speeches on all public occasions were marked by his wit, his humanity, and his wide-ranging intelligence. His friendships across a wide range of communities remain a testament to a full life well-lived.

Bill bore his recent illnesses without complaint, and with no interest in what he called “the organ recitals.” During my last chat with him by phone, he insisted on talking about the United Nations, New York, families, and thoughts for the future. We were planning a reunion in Toronto, and laughing about the foibles of life. I shall miss this remarkable man, as will many in Canada and around the world. We are all the better and wiser for having known him.

Bob Rae is Canada’s permanent representative to the United Nations and a regular contributor to Policy Magazine.