It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Michael William McCarter, age 74, on January 13, 2025, in Guelph, Ontario.
Michael was born on December 9, 1950, in Toronto, Ontario, to parents Marion and Ronald McCarter. He pursued higher education at the University of Toronto (B.A.) and went on to obtain his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School. Admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1977, Michael went on to become a founding partner at McCarter Grespan Lawyers in 1989, where he practiced business and commercial real estate law. He lectured on issues in real estate law and was a member of the Waterloo-Wellington Estate Planning Counsel.
Aside from the gratification Michael found in his career, he enjoyed skiing, sailing, golf, reading, and listening to music, whether jazz and classical recordings, rock music on the radio, or the fiddle and classical music performed by his sons. He earned his pilot’s license as a teenager and maintained a lifelong interest in aviation and automative racing. He found true peace and fulfillment on the farm property he and his wife Diane purchased in Eden Mills, especially while driving his tractor or ride-on lawn mower.
Michael was predeceased by his wife, Willow McCarter, as well as by his parents, Marion and Ronald McCarter. He is survived by his wife, Diane Kennedy McCarter, and his children Luke (Flore), Scott (Jacqueline), and Reid (Trish); stepchildren Ashley (Brian), Andrew (Alexis), Michael (Caroline), and Graham; grandchildren Avery, Ronan, Callum, and Liam Cullen; Kellan, Maureen, and Willow McCarter; Isla and Madeline McCarter; Addie and Ari Barr; and Eli Barr; and siblings Cathryn Ainslie (Tod), Wendy McCarter-Capps, Greig McCarter (Christine), and Marnie Smith (Scott).
Michael’s family extends a heartfelt thank you to the dedicated caregivers at the Village of Riverside Glen for their compassion and support throughout his final years.
A celebration of Michael’s life will be held at a later date. Memorials or donations may be made to Parkinson Canada or the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Throughout his life, Michael found encouragement and strength in two phrases. One, from Eugene F. Ware, reads: “All glory comes from daring to begin.” Another, which is appropriate to share now for all those who loved him: “Never, never, never give up.”