John Russell Read, 71, passed away in his son’s arms on October 13, 2021 with words of love being whispered into his ear. John was born in Brantford, Ontario, but got out as soon as he could (his words) and eventually made a forever home in Ottawa. He was a lawyer by trade, an active member of the legal community in Ottawa, and spent most of his career as a civil litigator with Beament Green. John is survived by his son Dashiell (Dash) and daughter Brie; his grandchildren Hakan, Beija and Evelina; his brother Bruce and sister Pam; and more real-life friends than most people have on Facebook (which he had zero interest in ever joining). John loved travel, adventure, creating memorable events, and music of all kinds. He even recently decided to bite the bullet and pay for Spotify Premium because the ads drove him crazy. John was passionate about being active and could often be found cycling, skiing and playing tennis. He loved ski trips with his son and even boarded a tall ship with his daughter! A zest for life? He wrote the book. He relished in helping others achieve their goals. If you needed a life coach, he was the one. He never wanted acknowledgment for the tremendous and selfless help he gave to all; whether it was sponsoring a Syrian family, volunteering at homeless shelters, or mentoring anyone that needed his help. He will live on in so many of us. John did not want a funeral, but rather a celebration of his life. He really just wanted an excuse for a party. In lieu of flowers, we hope you consider a donation in his name (he would not want it to be in his name, he was that type of man) to the Ottawa Public Library which he adored, the Food Bank, or Habitat for Humanity. His spirit, heart and kindness will live forever. We love you.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of John Russell Read Wednesday October 13th 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Ottawa, Province: Ontario
Jim and I send our condolences to Vicki and family and Dash and Brie and family. John was a force of nature and lived through many ups and downs, including his time practising law with my dad at Beament Green.
May He Rest In Peace.
Meriel Beament Bradford
We have lost an energetic and fun loving man, someone so well loved. He was quite the guy, my lawyer, my confident and my friend. John gave me great advice and council in purchasing my first town house, and during the years, he kept up with my achievements. There was never a dull moment when he was around, taking full charge of bright ideas and running the show. At times his pranks got us into trouble, but he was never angry, and turned negative into positive!! Once you have met John, you made a friend for life. I have known him for over fifty two years, and had the honour of being one of his bridesmaids during his marriage to my best girlfriend. Graham joins me in sending our deepest condolences to Dash, Brie and the rest of the Read family on the loss of a father, grandfather, brother and uncle. We shall miss our dear friend and will always remember his wicked laughs.
Angela Zelmer, formerly from Ottawa, now residing in St. Catharines, Ontario