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LEON NICHOLAS MERCURY, QC
Date of Passing: Feb 25, 2026
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryLEON NICHOLAS MERCURY, QC
Leon Mercury passed away suddenly on February 25, 2026, at home with family in Brentwood Bay, BC. He was 94.
He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Margaret, and daughter Colleen of Sidney, BC. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Helen and Nicholas Mercury, and his brother, Michael N. Mercury, of Winnipeg.
Leon was born on May 28, 1931, in Rochester, NY, and moved to Winnipeg in 1941. He received his LL.B. from Manitoba Law School, University of Manitoba, in 1956, and began his legal career in Winnipeg, practising with several firms before becoming a Senior Partner at Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson, where he remained until his retirement in 1996.
A highly respected civil litigator, Leon was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1986 in recognition of his distinguished service to the legal profession. He appeared before all levels of provincial and federal courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Leon possessed a powerful operatic tenor voice, and while travelling for work, many a “high C” resounded off the walls of bars, restaurants, and saloons around the world. In Winnipeg summers, with the top down on his convertible during country drives with Colleen and her friends, he delighted them with renditions of the classics.
Leon and Margaret moved to Brentwood Bay in 2005, where he devoted himself to his love of sculpting. Working in wood, clay, and bronze, he leaves behind many works appreciated by private collectors and cherished by family.
Leon sometimes described himself as “a romantic living in an unromantic world.” Yet he remained a romantic to the end, writing love letters to Margaret every birthday and Valentine’s Day, including this past February 14.
Those who knew Leon will remember his warmth, his voice, his artistry, and sense of humour.
We miss him very much, and his memory lives in our hearts. May his memory be eternal.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 14, 2026