Judy LaMarsh
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The Honourable Judy LaMarsh PC OC QC |
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|---|---|
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Niagara Falls |
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In office 1960–1968 |
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| Preceded by | William Houck |
| Succeeded by | Joe Greene |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Julia Verlyn LaMarsh December 20, 1924 Chatham, Ontario |
| Died | October 27, 1980 (aged 55) Toronto, Ontario |
| Resting place | Niagara Falls, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School |
| Occupation | Writer, Broadcaster, Politician |
| Profession | Barrister |
| Cabinet | Prime Minister Pearson |
| Portfolio | Minister of National Health and Welfare, Minister of Amateur Sport, Secretary of State |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/branch | Canadian Women's Army Corps |
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Intelligence Officer |
Julia Verlyn "Judy" LaMarsh, PC, OC, QC (December 20, 1924 – October 27, 1980) was a Canadian politician, lawyer, author and broadcaster. In 1963, she was only the second woman to ever serve as a federal Cabinet Minister. Under Prime Minister Lester Pearson's minority governments of the middle and late 1960s, she helped push through the legislation that created the Canada Pension Plan and Medicare. As Secretary of State, she was in charge of Canada's Centennial celebrations in 1967. After leaving politics in 1968, she wrote three books, and had her own radio show on CBC Radio. She was stricken with pancreatic cancer in 1979 and was given the Order of Canada at her hospital bed. She died a few days short of the 20th anniversary of her first political election victory, in 1980.
Of French and English descent, LaMarsh was born in Chatham, Ontario, and raised in Niagara Falls. Although she trained as a teacher, she never taught school. She enlisted in the Canadian Women's Army Corps, travelled the country from 1943 to 1946, and attained the rank of sergeant. LaMarsh served as a Japanese translator in Intelligence with Japanese-Canadian soldiers.
After the war, she attended the University of Toronto's Victoria College, and Osgoode Hall, where she was trained as a lawyer, graduating in 1950. She was called to the Bar of Ontario, and joined her father's law practice in Niagara Falls.
After unsuccessful forays into Ontario provincial politics, LaMarsh was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1960 by-election. Sitting as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Niagara Falls, she joined the Canadian Cabinet after the Liberals defeated the Progressive Conservative government of John Diefenbaker in the 1963 election. Serving under Prime Minister Lester Pearson, she was the second female federal cabinet minister in Canadian history, and the first to serve in a Liberal cabinet. LaMarsh served as Minister of National Health and Welfare and Minister of Amateur Sport from 1963 to 1965, and as Secretary of State for Canada from 1965 to 1968.
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