William F. Ready

William F. Ready, Q.C.

Inducted 2014 - Lawyer and Community Leader

Dr. William F. Ready, Q.C.,BA , JD, LLD is a highly regarded lawyer and prominent leader in community service. Throughout hsi lengthy career and in retirement, he has made substantial contributions to the life and work of the community, primarily in the fields of law, business and education.

• After receiving his early education in Valparaiso and Tisdale, Bill graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Arts degree (1948) and a Bachelor of Law degree (1950).

• He practiced law for a short time in Nipawin and Melfort before joining the prestigious Regina firm of Thom, Bastedo and McDougall which, through succession, later became McDougall Ready. He served as president of the Regina Bar Association and of the Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan). Bill received a Queen's Counsel designation in 1967, the highest honour given to lawyers in Canada. In 1990, he was recipient of the Distinguised Service Award presented by the Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan). Bill retired in 1998, bringing to close an exceptional legal career that spanned nearly 50 years.

• Bill was member of the boards of the Royal Bank Mutual Funds for 27 years. He was one of the original directors of the Canadian Bar Association and was a member of the Saskatchewan Securities Commission. He served as president of the Regina Symphony and the Gyro Club of Regina, was chair of the Regina Citizen's Advisory of the Salvation Army, and was a director of the Whitespruce Youth Treatment Foundation.

• He served as a trustee on the Tregina Public School Board for 11 years - two years as chair of the board. Many innovative initiatives were implemented in Regina public schools during his tenure, including the Community School Program, the Program for the Visually Impaired, the Pre-School Program for First Nations Children, and the Tutor Program for the Learning Disabled. He retired as a trustee in 1977 and, in 1984, the Regina Board of Education named W. F. Ready School in his honour.

• In 1989, Bill was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Regina in recognition of his long-time dedication to public service.

• Bill was elected Chancellor of the University of Regina in 2007, serving two three-year terms. As Chancellor, he was also a member of the University of Regina Board of Govenors. He now holds the title of Chancellor Emeritus and is a permanent member of the Senate of the University of Regina.
  

Married for more than 60 years, Bill and his wife Frances are the proud parents of five children and have eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.