Thomas Arthur Beckett
After more than 97 years of a life lived to the fullest, The Honourable Thomas A. Beckett, K.C. JD, LLD, died, as he always wanted, of nothing too serious, with Meralee at his side, at the Algonquin Grace Hospice, Huntsville. Lawyer, founder of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, civil rights activist, Superior Court Justice, Doctor of Laws, author and family man, Tom had a profound impact on the countless people he encountered during his life. Whether providing legal advice, ensuring the perpetual preservation of greenspace in the region for all to enjoy, dispensing justice in the family court, or simply as a patriarch, he contributed extensively to his community and family.
Tom’s family includes his wife Meralee, his children John and Marilyn Beckett; Elizabeth (who died on June 2, 2023) and Ron Plashkes; and Mary-Jo and Kevin Land; step-children Mark and Traci; Rob, and Jeremy Wheaton; and his former wife, Joan Field, along with ten grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren. He was very much loved and will be greatly missed. He and Meralee took great joy in their Lake of Bays cottage and shared that joy with their family and friends for 36 years.
In addition, Tom had a second family in his legal colleagues: former partners Scott Henderson and Herb Huffman, Darlene Lamont, Fran Steiner, and Justices George Czutrin and Derek Mendes da Costa. Ben Vanderbrug shared Tom’s decades-long effort to preserve the environment and natural beauty of the Hamilton region. He loved much and was much loved by these life-long friends. His many friends from Costa Rica, Lake of Bays and the Hamilton area added a wealth of love and happiness to his life.
A longtime resident of both Hamilton and Dundas, Tom demonstrated his tireless dedication to public service, whether as a councilor in Ancaster, a founder of the Spencer Creek Conservation Authority and later the first Chair of the Hamilton Conservation Authority. During his tenure at HCA, thousands of acres of significant land were protected and preserved in perpetuity. His contribution to the environment resulted in his being named President of the Institute of Ecology in Washington, D.C. Among the many honours he received for his lifelong service was being named to the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction; the establishment of the Thomas A. Beckett Living Forest at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, granted by the Hamilton Conservation Authority; and being bestowed with an honourary Doctor of Laws from McMaster University in June 2019. As Chancellor Dr. Suzanne Labarge commented on that occasion, the recipient is chosen for “the community they represent, and the community they contribute to enormously, and Dr. Beckett is a wonderful example of this”.
Many thanks to Dr. Greg Curnew for the additional decades we had to love Tom;
and to the extraordinary palliative care team in Huntsville, Dr. Deb Harrold, Nurses Rena, Cathie, Samantha and the team at Algonquin Grace Hospice whose support in the last weeks was a gift of peace and security.
A celebration of life will be held at the Tamahaac Club, 180 Filman Rd, Ancaster, ON, on Tuesday September 26, 2023 from 1-4 pm.
In lieu of flowers, please express your love and gratitude for Tom through a donation to the Hamilton Conservation Foundation - phone: 905- 5252181, email:
foundation@conservationhamilton.ca, or http://www.hamiltonconservationfoundation.ca/ to donate on line.