Introduction
John Stewart Donald Tory (1903 – August 28, 1965) was a Toronto lawyer and founder of the law firm Torys.
Early life
Tory was born in Toronto, Ontario to John Alexander Tory, Sr. (1869-1950) and Abigail Georgina Buckley (1875-1961). His father, John Alexander Tory, Sr., was the youngest of three children and was a company director who became the head of the Ontario division of Sun Life Assurance Company.
Tory's great-grandfather, James Tory, was a soldier in the 71st Scottish Regiment. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war during the American Revolution. He later settled in Nova Scotia in the 1780s.
J.S.D. Tory attended Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto Schools. He graduated at the top of his class at Osgoode Hall Law School, and earned an SJD from Harvard University.
Career
He was called to the Ontario bar and later worked at the W.N. Tilley law firm in Toronto for a few years. In 1941, he launched his own firm, Torys LLP with a focus on corporate law.
Tory was also a director of A.V. Roe Canada.
A literary award at the University of Toronto was named in his honour.
Personal life
He married Kathreen Jean Arnold. They had three children: daughter Virginia, and fraternal twin sons John A. Tory and James Marshall Tory. Both sons later joined his firm. His grandson is Toronto Mayor John Tory, former Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leader and member of his grandfather's firm. Tory and Arnold separated when their children were in their twenties.