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Obituary - A.H. Graham Nesbitt '52
We are saddened to share the passing of Graham Nesbitt ’52 on March 13. Graham is survived by his wife Elise, his sons Aird '18, Malcolm '20 and his cousin Deane Nesbitt '54.
After graduating from Selwyn House, Graham attended Bishop's College School, and Le Rosey, Switzerland graduating with the Governor General's Medal for the highest standing in his year.
We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Graham’s family, friends, and to all in our community who cherished him. Please see his full obituary below.
Graham Nesbitt ’52
September 25, 1936 - March 13, 2025
Graham died peacefully on March 13th and is deeply mourned by his loving wife Elise, and his devoted sons Aird and Malcolm. He will be missed by his cousin Deane and his wife Mary in Toronto.
Born in Montreal on September 25, 1936, he was the son of Honor and Brigadier General J. Aird Nesbitt.
Educated at Selwyn House, Bishop's College School, and Le Rosey, Switzerland he was a brilliant student, graduating from school with the Governor General's Medal for the highest standing in his year.
From Le Rosey he entered directly into second year of the Faculty of Arts at McGill University, graduating with a B.A. and First Class Honours, the Shakespeare Gold Medal in English, and the Lieutenant-Governor's Gold Medal in History. He was also active in extra-curricular activities, and was inducted into the honour society, the Scarlet Key.
While at McGill, he spent two summers at the Canadian Army Infantry Training School in Camp Borden, Ont., where he was awarded the Brown Belt for the highest standing in his class. As a Lieutenant, he then joined the Black Watch regiment, where he spent many years as a Reserve Officer and supporter of its Foundation.
After his B.A. from McGill, he was admitted to Balliol College, University of Oxford, on a Moyse Travelling Scholarship: there he spent two delightful years studying philosophy and economics, leading to an M.A.
He was the only student to be named to both the University Ice Hockey and Ski teams, competing against Cambridge.
Born in Montreal on September 25, 1936, he was the son of Honor and Brigadier General J. Aird Nesbitt.
Educated at Selwyn House, Bishop's College School, and Le Rosey, Switzerland he was a brilliant student, graduating from school with the Governor General's Medal for the highest standing in his year.
From Le Rosey he entered directly into second year of the Faculty of Arts at McGill University, graduating with a B.A. and First Class Honours, the Shakespeare Gold Medal in English, and the Lieutenant-Governor's Gold Medal in History. He was also active in extra-curricular activities, and was inducted into the honour society, the Scarlet Key.
While at McGill, he spent two summers at the Canadian Army Infantry Training School in Camp Borden, Ont., where he was awarded the Brown Belt for the highest standing in his class. As a Lieutenant, he then joined the Black Watch regiment, where he spent many years as a Reserve Officer and supporter of its Foundation.
After his B.A. from McGill, he was admitted to Balliol College, University of Oxford, on a Moyse Travelling Scholarship: there he spent two delightful years studying philosophy and economics, leading to an M.A.
He was the only student to be named to both the University Ice Hockey and Ski teams, competing against Cambridge.
From Oxford he was back to McGill to attend law school, where he again achieved great academic success, graduating with First Class Honours and numerous awards.
He then joined the law firm known as Chisholm Smith (now McCarthy Tetrault), where he spent his career.
He practiced in the field of civil litigation...when he joined the firm it had less than twenty lawyers, and Graham is credited in the history of McCarthy Tetrault as a leader in building the firm's expertise to its current eminence. He was soon elected to the Executive of the Junior Bar Association.
Graham pleaded at all levels of the court system, including the Supreme Court of Canada, where he had a number of notable successes. He also acted in several international arbitration cases in London and Paris.
Known for his fairness and sense of humour, he enjoyed repeating the phrase of a leading practitioner: "Graham takes his work, but not himself, very seriously".
As a break from conventional trial work, he loved to take on offbeat cases, such as representing Charles Wilson, the leader of the famous British Great Train Robbery, who had escaped
imprisonment and was living under an assumed name in Canada, or acting for the scion of one of Canada's leading families who had been entrapped by the Mafia.
At his law firm, Graham had served on the Executive Committee, and was renowned as a conscientious and devoted mentor to many of the junior members of the firm.
He was highly valued for his fast mind and wit, often leading him to be invited to give the address on the occasion of the retirement of a partner, or on an accession to the bench.
He was named as a Life Governor of the Barreau de Quebec, and through four successive Deans was a member of the Dean's Faculty Advisory Board at McGill.
Graham had a great love of travel, especially to remote and challenging places. On a series of sabbaticals, he descended the Amazon from its source, drove a Land Rover across the Sahara and then from London to Singapore, and partook in several high altitude treks in the Himalayas, the last resulting in a Special Forces helicopter rescue after a near-fatal injury in 1998.
These exploits he recounted with great verve in a book in 2017—"The roads less travelled"—which he distributed to his many friends here and abroad.
He was an active supporter and generous donor of many community organizations, including the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, the Grace Dart Foundation, the Welcome Hall Mission, and various United Nations and other international charities. He had been on several nonprofit boards, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award-Canada, and the International Music Festival of Lanaudiere, and was named a Major Donor of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
He was an Honorary Member of the Mount Royal Club, the Montreal Racket Club, and the Royal Oak Tennis Club, as well as a member of the Montreal Indoor and the Hillside Tennis Clubs.
But Graham often said that what gave him the greatest fulfillment and joy in his life was his marriage in 2000 to Elise, and the birth and subsequent upbringing of their two sons, Aird and Malcolm: his later years were transformed by this new family.
They spent many holidays at their property in the Bahamas, travelled to Greece and Italy, skied together and enjoyed their historic family house in Hudson... an unexpected and marvellous experience for him.
A funeral will be held Thursday March 27, at 3 p.m. at St. George's Anglican Church, 1001 Av. des Canadiens-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC H3B 3B3. Followed by nibbles & drinks at the Mount Royal Club, 1175 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 1H9.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Graham's memory to: The Grace Dart Foundation www.fondationgracedart.org or The Montreal General Hospital Foundation www.mghfoundation.com
He then joined the law firm known as Chisholm Smith (now McCarthy Tetrault), where he spent his career.
He practiced in the field of civil litigation...when he joined the firm it had less than twenty lawyers, and Graham is credited in the history of McCarthy Tetrault as a leader in building the firm's expertise to its current eminence. He was soon elected to the Executive of the Junior Bar Association.
Graham pleaded at all levels of the court system, including the Supreme Court of Canada, where he had a number of notable successes. He also acted in several international arbitration cases in London and Paris.
Known for his fairness and sense of humour, he enjoyed repeating the phrase of a leading practitioner: "Graham takes his work, but not himself, very seriously".
As a break from conventional trial work, he loved to take on offbeat cases, such as representing Charles Wilson, the leader of the famous British Great Train Robbery, who had escaped
imprisonment and was living under an assumed name in Canada, or acting for the scion of one of Canada's leading families who had been entrapped by the Mafia.
At his law firm, Graham had served on the Executive Committee, and was renowned as a conscientious and devoted mentor to many of the junior members of the firm.
He was highly valued for his fast mind and wit, often leading him to be invited to give the address on the occasion of the retirement of a partner, or on an accession to the bench.
He was named as a Life Governor of the Barreau de Quebec, and through four successive Deans was a member of the Dean's Faculty Advisory Board at McGill.
Graham had a great love of travel, especially to remote and challenging places. On a series of sabbaticals, he descended the Amazon from its source, drove a Land Rover across the Sahara and then from London to Singapore, and partook in several high altitude treks in the Himalayas, the last resulting in a Special Forces helicopter rescue after a near-fatal injury in 1998.
These exploits he recounted with great verve in a book in 2017—"The roads less travelled"—which he distributed to his many friends here and abroad.
He was an active supporter and generous donor of many community organizations, including the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, the Grace Dart Foundation, the Welcome Hall Mission, and various United Nations and other international charities. He had been on several nonprofit boards, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award-Canada, and the International Music Festival of Lanaudiere, and was named a Major Donor of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
He was an Honorary Member of the Mount Royal Club, the Montreal Racket Club, and the Royal Oak Tennis Club, as well as a member of the Montreal Indoor and the Hillside Tennis Clubs.
But Graham often said that what gave him the greatest fulfillment and joy in his life was his marriage in 2000 to Elise, and the birth and subsequent upbringing of their two sons, Aird and Malcolm: his later years were transformed by this new family.
They spent many holidays at their property in the Bahamas, travelled to Greece and Italy, skied together and enjoyed their historic family house in Hudson... an unexpected and marvellous experience for him.
A funeral will be held Thursday March 27, at 3 p.m. at St. George's Anglican Church, 1001 Av. des Canadiens-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC H3B 3B3. Followed by nibbles & drinks at the Mount Royal Club, 1175 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 1H9.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Graham's memory to: The Grace Dart Foundation www.
