Herb Gray

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Herbert Eser Gray (May 25, 1931 – April 21, 2014) was a Canadian lawyer who became a prominent federal politician. He was a Liberal member of parliament for the Windsor area over the course of four decades, from 1962 to 2002, making Gray one of the longest-serving members in Canadian history. He was a cabinet minister under three prime ministers and was the seventh deputy prime minister of Canada from 1997 to 2002. Gray was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister,<ref name="IJRCBio">Template:Cite web</ref> and he is one of the few Canadians granted the honorific The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.

Early life and education

Gray was born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Fannie (née Lifitz), a nurse, and Harry Gray, who had a business selling yard goods. His parents were both from Belarusian Jewish families.<ref name="Plaut2007">Template:Cite book</ref> Gray attended Victoria School and Kennedy Collegiate Institute in Windsor<ref name="IJRCBio"/> before receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1952 from McGill University.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He studied at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he received a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the bar, becoming a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On July 23, 1967, Gray married Sharon Sholzberg, also a lawyer. They had two children together – Jonathan David and Elizabeth Anne.<ref name="IJRCBio"/>

Politics

Gray was first elected to Parliament for the riding of Essex West on June 18, 1962, as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was re-elected in twelve subsequent federal elections, making him the longest continuously-serving Member of Parliament in Canadian history.<ref>Members of the House of Commons—1867 to Date—Continuous Years of Service Template:Webarchive. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.</ref>

Gray served in a variety of roles during his parliamentary career, including cabinet ministries and committee chairmanships during the Liberal governments of Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, and as opposition House leader from 1984 to 1990.

From February 6, 1990, to December 21, 1990, he was Leader of the Opposition, during John Turner's last four months as Liberal leader and the first few months of Jean Chrétien's leadership, until the latter won a by-election to Parliament. Gray's tenure as Leader of the Opposition saw the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, with Gray publicly laying the blame for its failure on Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in a televised address the day after its failure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

When the Liberals returned to power after the 1993 election, Gray was appointed Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada. On June 11, 1997, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.

Gray also retained an interest in provincial politics in the Windsor area. In 1996, he was named as honorary co-chair of Dwight Duncan's bid to the lead the provincial Liberal Party. Duncan had previously worked in Gray's office.

Retirement and death

Gray retired from Parliament on January 14, 2002, and was appointed Canadian Chair of the International Joint Commission, a bilateral organization which deals with Canada-United States trans-boundary issues on water and air rights.

On November 28, 2008, Carleton University announced that Gray had been appointed as the university's 10th chancellor.<ref>Carleton University Newsroom - The Right Honourable Herb Gray, P.C., C.C., Q.C. Named Carleton University Chancellor Template:Webarchive. Retrieved on December 5, 2008.</ref> He died in hospital in Ottawa on April 21, 2014, aged 82.<ref name="globeandmail">Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours

On January 15, 2002, then-Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson granted Gray the style "The Right Honourable", in honour of his distinguished and record-setting contribution to Canadian political life. In 2003, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, a designation which can be bestowed on only 165 outstanding Canadians at any given time, in recognition of being "an enduring force in Canadian politics".<ref>Template:OCC</ref> He was a recipient of the Canadian Centennial Medal, the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He received honorary degrees from the University of Windsor, Assumption University (Windsor), Catholic University of Lublin (Poland), McGill University, and the University of Ottawa, and Honorary Lifetime Membership as Governor #71 with Junior Chamber International Canada (JCI Canada).<ref name="IJRCBio"/> In 2009, he became an honorary brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:-

The extension of Highway 401 in Windsor (originally the Windsor-Essex Parkway) was renamed the Right Honourable Herb Gray Parkway on November 28, 2012.

Personal life

Gray was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1996 and recovered after radiation therapy. In 1999, he had an operation to treat a prostate condition unrelated to the cancer. In August 2001, Gray underwent valve replacement surgery to correct a heart condition he had known about for years.<ref name="globeandmail"/>