CALGARY – Corus Entertainment’s corporate secretary and prominent Calgarian Jack Perraton died February 19th after a brief battle with leukemia. He was 65.
Throughout his career, Perraton (pictured) worked as a prominent attorney and community leader. He was Chancellor of the University of Calgary from 1998 to 2002 and was on the board of governors from 1998 to 2011. He also chaired the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta from 2003 to 2011 and was CEO of the Canada 2005 Exposition Corporation which led Canada’s bid to host a World’s Fair in 2005.
He received numerous awards, including the Order of Canada in 2001, was Calgary’s citizen of the year in 1997, was the Honorary Consul General to South Korea for 12 years, and earned numerous other awards from the University of Calgary and the Law Society of Alberta and Canadian Bar Association.
More than 300 people attended a memorial service on February 28th at the University of Calgary, including Corus executives and directors John Cassaday, Tom Peddie, Gary Maavara, Heather Shaw, Julie Shaw, Dennis Erker and Carolyn Hursh.
“He certainly made a huge contribution to the community outside of his law practice and work for Corus,” said Mavaara in a note to Cartt.ca. “This was evidenced by the tributes at the memorial which took place in the Jack Simpson gym at the Olympic Oval facility.”
Among the community leaders who spoke were JR Shaw, Brian Felesky, former mayor Al Duerr and university president Elizabeth Cannon.
Perraton is survived by his wife Charlotte, four children, and seven grandchildren.
