WESTLOCK – Mark Tims, a well-respected member of the Westlock law community for parts of the last five decades and the founding partner of the law firm ProperziTims Barristers and Solicitors, lost his “valiant battle with cancer” and passed away Oct. 6.
He was 69 years old.
He is survived by his wife, Phyllis Tims (née Froehlich), his life partner and soulmate for over 37 years of marriage and 46 years together, as well as his three younger brothers, Mike, David and Richard, three brothers-in-law, their spouses and partners, plus 18 nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his parents, Harry and Marion, and his brother Grant.
Mike Tims, who’s 14 months younger than Mark, said they were always close growing up and remembers him as “a great older brother to all of us.” Mark’s obituary notes he always wanted to be a lawyer and loved the law for its “traditions, practices and impact” and earned three university degrees; a bachelor of arts in political science, a master of business administration and his law degree, which he received from the University of Alberta.
“Most times when people talk about their siblings, they can come up with a list of the stupid things they’ve done. In Mark’s case that’s really hard to do because he was a really responsible person from a very young age. He always seemed older than his years because he was so mature,” said Mike, adding the family split time between Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg when they were growing up as their father was in the construction business.
“Mark decided he wanted to be a lawyer when he was still in elementary school and that’s what he did.”
After initially practicing as part of a firm that had offices in Edmonton, Whitecourt and Fox Creek, Mark had the opportunity to set up shop in Westlock and in 1984 founded Tims & Company, a decision he never regretted. In 2011, the firm changed its name to ProperziTims following the addition of lawyer Greg Properzi two years earlier.
“He and Phyllis, who taught schools there for decades, loved the community and the people. They were always happy in Westlock,” Mike added. “We’re all going to miss him so much.”
Mark’s obituary notes he saw the law as “a way to serve and help others” and “loved helping younger lawyers to start out”, statements echoed by lawyer Mike MacIntyre, who articled under Mark starting in 1986 before he himself was admitted to the bar in 1987.
MacIntyre, who left ProperziTims in 2017, said the law was “a big part of Mark’s life” as at least a half-dozen students articled under him over the years, while his obituary notes, “ … probably the most noteworthy characteristic of Mark's purpose-filled and accomplished life is that he did so much for others and not for himself.”
“And all of those six, as far as I know, are still practicing law and one of those has now had his first student under him admitted to the bar,” said MacIntyre, who offered his condolences to the family. “He was a good friend to all of the lawyers in town and the vast majority of the staff that worked under him.”
A career highlight for Mark was his receipt of the Queen’s Counsel title in 2006 (renamed to King’s Counsel in 2022), an honour bestowed by Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Solicitor General and selected by a 12-member committee that includes the president of the Alberta Law Society. The honour is annually handed out to select lawyers who, among a handful of criteria, have a “history of honesty, integrity, discretion, and candid dealings in professional and personal matters” and “a superior contribution to the life of the community including leadership on community, cultural, and philanthropic organizations.”
The ProperziTims website notes Mark practiced “virtually every area of the law” and appeared before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and in his final years maintained a “vigorous real estate practice” and handled “high-value agricultural and commercial deals, refinances, estate sales, and auctions.” He also provided expert advice for estate planning and administration and continued to be “instrumental in the firm’s litigation practice.”
Outside the courtroom he was also a respected authority on correctional services, and served in a significant number of important adjudications, investigations, and committees. He also previously served as chairman of the Student Finance Board of Alberta and was a long-time public member of the council of the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta and its predecessor organization.
Bruce Lennon, a former three-term mayor of Westlock who worked at the rival firm Lennon & Logan starting in 1981 (now Lennon Barlow Keyes), offered his sincere condolences to Phyllis and the family, saying Mark was “a great colleague and was skilled in many areas of the law.”
“I am sure his wisdom, humour and experience will be dearly missed by his partners and staff. He was a great supporter of our community and always generous and supportive of local projects. Mark will be dearly missed,” said Lennon, who retired as a lawyer in 2020.
A celebration of life for Mark Tims will be held Friday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Westlock & District Community Hall.
