Garry Benson
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Benson Law
October 12, 2022 - 3:30 PM
Kelowna lawyer and tireless volunteer Garry Benson died on Saturday at the age of 61.
Benson was the founder of Benson Law LLP in Kelowna where he specialized in corporate commercial law, banking and securitization, real estate, mortgages and Aboriginal law. He was named Kelowna’s Citizen of the Year for 2016.
“He was heavily involved with the business community and very charitable,” Robert Starke a partner with the firm told iNFOnews.ca. “He was known as someone who was very supportive of many communities, not only his own Indian community but a lot of other charities and not for profit organizations”
Benson was a member of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation in Alberta and served as an RCMP officer in Peace River and Fort Vermilion, Alberta from 1981-85 before going on to rise to regional director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada for the Alberta and Northwest Territories region.
In 1988 he began studying law at the University of Victoria where he graduated with his law degree in 1991. At the same time, he started articling with Salloum Doak in Kelowna and continued on to be a partner there from 1994 to 1999.
He was a founding partner of Benson Law LLP in 2004 and continued carrying files and working there until shortly before his death, even though he was battling cancer, Starke said.
“About a month ago he took more of client development and marketing role,” Starke said. “He was still a full partner but more in client retention and doing the things that he liked, right up until he passed away.”
Benson’s biography on his firm’s website highlights his attitude towards law and the community.
“I believe that the practice of law is about people,” he wrote. “Lawyers should listen to clients, find out what the client really wants from the lawyer and the lawyer then tries to meet the client’s needs. Practicing law is about providing the client with clear advice, strong action and throughout the process, quality service.”
But it’s his countless hours of volunteer work that most will remember best.
In 2017 Benson was honoured by the B.C. Achievement Foundation
“Garry Benson believes that giving back and actively participating in your community is essential,” the foundation’s website says. “He has volunteered his time and expertise to building a supportive community for businesses and advocating for sustainable economic growth. Garry can also be found in activities as diverse as organizing pig roasts and cooking hot dogs at community markets to donating over 1,500 hours of pro-bono legal counsel to those in need.”
Some of the organizations he was involved in included the Rutland Business Association and being chair of the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission.
Benson was a founder and president of the University of Victoria’s Aboriginal Law Students Association was a board member of several Aboriginal organizations.
“Politics was a passion for him,” Starke said. “He was never a politician but he supported a number or candidates over the years.”
Benson was chair of the successful election campaigns for both Al Horning and John Weisbeck when they ran provincially in Kelowna-Lake Country. He co-chaired Norm Letnick’s nomination committee for that same riding and was a member of the B.C. Liberal Party’s provincial council.
A service will be held for Benson at Sunset Ranch Golf and Country Club on Friday, Oct 14. An Elder Ceremony will be held at 10:15 a.m. and the memorial service will start at 11 a.m.
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