2019 Margaret Griffiths Award Recipient
A genuinely caring man, John Johnson is driven by a desire to help people, and dedicated to protecting the elderly. He has served his community for many years through both his career and his volunteer endeavors. He continues to use his vast knowledge, skills, and experience as a leader in elder law to assist our most vulnerable seniors.
John’s passion for addressing Elder Abuse brought him to the Council on Aging of Ottawa (COA). If you ask him about this important topic, make sure you have plenty of time to listen! John talks privately and publicly to anyone he can, in an effort to increase awareness and prevention of Elder Abuse.
The COA has benefited from John’s unique skills and abilities. He has served on the COA Board for the past nine years, three of those as President. During this time, he did anything that was asked of him including: speaking to groups in church basements, asking sponsors for money, attending community meetings, writing articles for local publications, playing dead for a fundraiser or, most memorably, doing something that John does so very well… making people laugh. It is rare to meet someone with such dry wit who can even surprise himself with his ability to make people chuckle!
In his career as a partner with Nelligan O’Brien Payne, he practiced in the areas of family law, estate planning and administration, and estate and family litigation. He used his vast experience dealing with the Ontario legal system and families with legal issues to the benefit of individuals, professional organizations and the community at large.
John’s recent retirement allows him to dedicate more time to volunteer endeavors. In addition to serving as Co-Chair of the Champlain Elder Abuse Response Coalition for four years, John is currently serving as Vice-Chair of Elder Abuse Ontario where he continues his advocacy on behalf of seniors.
We thank you, John, for your tremendous work and continued pursuits protecting vulnerable seniors from abuse.
