![Click to enlarge](images/willis_rt.jpg) |
Richard Trimble Willis
Click to enlarge
|
Lawyer, civil servant.
Born at
Winnipeg
on 2 April 1944, son of
Errick French Willis
and
Louise Isabel Trimble
, he attended
Tuxedo Park School
and
J. B. Mitchell School
before taking high school at Trinity College School at Port Hope, Ontario. He received a BA from the
University of Manitoba
then graduated with a law degree from Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) in 1969. He practiced law with the Winnipeg firm of
Aikins, MacAulay and Thorvaldson
from 1970 to 1980.
In February 1980, he was appointed Chief Electoral Officer for Manitoba. In this capacity, he oversaw the implementation of the amended Manitoba Elections Act and the new Elections Expenses Act in 1980, three provincial elections (
1981
,
1986
,
1988
), and several byelections. He was also a member of the Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission which, in 1988, recommended the transfer of two provincial constituencies from rural to urban areas, in recognition of changes in the distribution of Manitoba’s population. He served for ten years on the board of the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
.
He died of cancer at
Winnipeg
on 14 August 1989.
Sources:
“Chief electoral officer claimed by cancer at 45,”
Winnipeg Free Press
, 15 August 1989, page 9.
Obituary,
Winnipeg Free Press
, 17 August 1989, page 45.
We thank Hollie Andrew and Alison Mitchell (Elections Manitoba) for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by
Gordon Goldsborough
.
Page revised: 2 November 2022
|