Raymond MacLeod was born in Vancouver and raised on the city's West Side, first attending high school at Kitsilano Secondary. He transferred to Vancouver College, where playing football earned him an athletic scholarship to the University of Oregon. After graduation he continued his football career in the Canadian Football League, playing two years with Edmonton and one with Winnipeg. During his second year with Edmonton in 1954, he won the Grey Cup.
Following football MacLeod enrolled in law at the University of British Columbia, working as an insurance salesman during studies. He graduated in 1963 and articled with Tom Griffiths. In his early career at Griffiths and Company he eagerly assumed responsibility representing plaintiffs in personal injury jury trials. In the late 1960s he joined with Dan Small to form his own securities focused firm, which later became MacLeod, Small and Bray.
In 1978 Raymond MacLeod established a solo practice where we worked until he left day-to-day practice in 1999. He began representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice suits, and by the 1990s a majority of his clients were families with children who'd suffered catastrophic injuries at or around the time of birth. He developed his own wide-ranging personal knowledge about medical practice, which enable his efficient handling of expert testimony. As an attorney he was a firm believer in contingency fees as "the key to the courthouse door" for the average litigant.
Mr. MacLeod was a devoted father and a consistent fan of his favorite sport. He wouldn't miss a child or grandchild's event, performance, or sporting match. He even made time to coach football and give kids the opportunity to play his sport. His sons followed in his footsteps and played football, with his youngest son Matt playing for Oregon just like his dad. MacLeod's later years were filled with recreational golf along with his dog who was trained to find any balls he might mis-hit. Unfortunately, diabetes deteriorated his eyesight, and he was not able to enjoy his retired years as much.
Raymond MacLeod passed away in June 2016.
For more, read the Nos Disparus for Raymond MacLeod from The Advocate, 75 (2017)