Family members, friends and peers are uttering words of praise for the Sault’s Ray Stortini.
A retired Ontario Superior Court Justice with a long history of community involvement, Stortini died on Sunday, Dec. 1.
He was 95.
“As a lawyer in his courtroom you always felt comfortable. He made everybody feel comfortable," veteran Sault lawyer Don Orazietti told SooToday.
"He heard both sides of the case. He wasn’t there to intimidate or challenge anybody. You always felt that in his court you always received a fair hearing whether you won or not. And that is important.”
As a lawyer in Sault Ste. Marie before becoming a judge, Stortini established a pro bono legal aid committee with other local lawyers in the 1960s. When the legal aid plan was introduced in Ontario, Stortini was the first legal aid area director.
“He was fearless. He had a great moral compass. After the Mike Harris government came along in 1995, the Attorney General Charles Harnick cut off all legal aid certificates," Orazietti said.
"The Attorney General’s office said legal aid lawyers might not get paid. Judge Stortini looked at the Crown Attorney and said ‘are you getting paid?’ He went around the courtroom and asked everybody if they were getting paid.
"He said ‘I’m getting paid and the lawyers have to get paid.’ He stayed the case and that started an avalanche of cases being stayed. Within two days the Attorney General threw in the towel and said he would negotiate with the Law Society for legal aid lawyers to be paid,” Orazietti said.
Stortini was also a pioneer of the community service program that required non-violent offenders to work for charitable institutions through community service hours as an alternative to jail.
“As a judge he was a very compassionate man and always looking to do something beneficial, encouraging and positive for an individual. He was always a complete gentleman,” Orazietti said.
Stortini grew up on Rome Street where the James Street Mall is located now. He was generous, honourable and selfless.
"He took pride in doing the best that he could," said his son, Mike Stortini, in a phone interview on Tuesday.
"When he committed to a cause, he would spearhead a cause. His motto was ‘leave the wood pile higher than when you found it’ and that’s very true of him. He was very well respected and he’s going to be missed,”
Stortini wrote three books, the first two being memoirs of growing up in the Sault’s ‘Little Italy’ in the west end of the city, the third a collection of poems.
“As a judge he would sentence non-violent criminals to do community service work so that they would give back to the community instead of rotting in jail,” Mike said.
The judge who sentenced Keith Richards to perform fundraiser concerts with the Rolling Stones as a result of the rock star’s drug offences in Toronto in the 1970s sought out Stortini’s advice before handing down that sentence, Mike said.
After graduating from high school, Stortini worked at Algoma Steel, on a Great Lakes freighter and in the insurance industry before pursuing a post-secondary education. He enrolled in University of Western Ontario’s physical education teacher program then switched to studying law. He earned a BA from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Laws degree from York University in 1960.
After running a general law practice in the Sault, Stortini was appointed a judge of York County (Toronto) in 1971, to the Algoma District Court in 1976 and then appointed as a justice of the Superior Court of Justice in 1990. He held that post until he retired in 2004.
Politically, he was elected to city council for two terms - from 1964 to 1968 - but lost a bid to become the Liberal Party’s candidate for the Sault Ste. Marie riding in the 1968 federal election.
His long list of community involvement includes work with Algoma Public Health, Children's Aid Society, the Soup Kitchen Community Centre, Sault YMCA, Ken Brown Alcohol Recovery Home, Algoma University Board of Governors, and the St. Joseph Island Lions Club. He continued to volunteer at the Soup Kitchen in his senior years.
He won the Judge I. A. Vannini Award in 2007 for his cultural contributions and the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration granted him the Order of Ontario in 2012.
Stortini was awarded the Sault Ste. Marie Medal of Merit in 2021.
Moving to St. Joseph Island once he retired, Stortini enjoyed many hobbies including sailing, gardening, running in marathons and playing pickleball. He remained involved in pickleball until recently.
“We saw him at the St. Joseph Island pickleball courts quite a bit," said pickleball player and friend Mike Prpich. "He was a very fun person with a great personality.
"Ray played right up until this year. He loved the camaraderie and meeting people. That was his personality. He was a gentle giant."
Stortini played an important role in growing the sport of pickleball on St. Joseph Island.
“He was playing right up to September of this year," said fellow pickleballer Terry Archambeault, adding that Stortini was a sweetheart who was always the last one off the court.
"We’re all going to miss him.”
Predeceased by his wife Mary-Kay, Stortini was a father of four sons, a grandfather and great-grandfather. Stortini’s obituary, visitation and funeral arrangements can be read here.