In Memoriam: Professor Emeritus Ralph Scane

The Faculty of Law is deeply saddened to inform the law school community about the death of Professor Emeritus Ralph Scane on April 10, 2013.

Prof. Scane, an alumnus of the University of Toronto’s Victoria University, Class of 1953, was a much-loved scholar and teacher. He joined the Faculty of Law in 1967 where he was Associate Professor (1967-1969), Associate Dean (1969-1973) and Professor (1969-1995). Prior to his faculty appointment, Prof. Scane practiced law in Toronto from 1957 to 1962 and from 1964 to 1967, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1977.

He was a member of the Canadian Bar Association, and was active in the Trusts and Estates section. He served on the Council and several working committees of the Ontario branch of the Canadian Bar Association.

He continued to teach at the Faculty for several years after his retirement in 1995, as an adjunct instructor. He served the wider University of Toronto community on Governing Council and as Co-Chair of the Academic Appeals Committee (1995-1998), Senior Chair (2002-2009) and from 1986-1991, served on the Tribunal Selection Committee as the President’s designate.

In 2008, he received an Arbor Award, the University's highest honour for long-time volunteers, as seen in the photo with President David Naylor, and then-Chancellor David Peterson.

Says Dean Mayo Moran: “Ralph was greatly beloved by his students and was dedicated to instilling in them the highest ideals of the legal profession.  He was a generous and thoughtful colleague of the Faculty and the University and will be terribly missed.”  

On Twitter, a former student called him "a scholar and a gentleman," and another fondly remembered Prof. Scane's Wills class "and his favourite phrase regarding alligators and a swamp." Read more comments and post yours online in the Faculty of Law's LinkedIn group.

In honour of his service and dedication to the University of Toronto, and Faculty of Law, the U of T flag will be lowered to half-mast on all three campuses.

For further information, read his obituary here.