John McGrath led a life of doing the right things

John McGrath (1941-2026), the Archdiocese of Toronto’s chancellor of temporal affairs from 2001 to 2012, served with a selfless, thankful heart. He was a leader who remained calm and collected no matter the situation. And he was a truly loving and attentive husband, father of eight, grandfather of 28 and great-grandfather of four.

Family members lovingly surrounded him at Toronto General Hospital as he passed away on Oct. 28 at 85 years old.

His humble nature is epitomized in the postscript of his official obituary. His family shared that “for the record, our dad would have wanted this obituary to be a quarter of its length.”  

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But the fact that his obituary abounds with academic achievement, financial industry renown, decades of Church service and devotion to family and friends speaks volumes.

Cardinal Emeritus Thomas Collins, who worked alongside Mr. McGrath during his first five years as Archbishop of Toronto, quickly came to appreciate Mr. McGrath’s character and his “immense confidence and intelligence” in executing his duties overseeing the finances and administration of the expansive Toronto Catholic community.

“I just very much admired his wisdom, his understanding — he was an absolutely remarkable man who gave an enormous witness of Christian faith and the mission of the disciples of the Lord in serving God and the people,” said Collins. “I was just very grateful that he was the chancellor of temporal affairs."

Collins fondly recollected driving up to the St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica rectory for the first time after he was named successor to Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic on Dec. 16, 2006, and there to greet him were Mr. McGrath and Bishop John Boissonneau, then the chancellor of spiritual affairs. They took him on a tour around the archdiocese’s mother church and then relayed the “dimensions of the mission of the Archdiocese of Toronto,” a community of 223 member churches.

Mr. McGrath played an important leadership role in opening 12 new parishes during his 11-year tenure with the archdiocese.

He told The Catholic Register in 2012, upon announcing his retirement, that making business decisions for the archdiocese involved the same basic principles he had applied during his years on Bay Street.

“You have to be comfortable with big numbers,” said Mr. McGrath. “You have to make decisions, and you have to be fair and consistent in your decisions.”

He said the difference is the emphasis placed on the spiritual and holistic needs when assessing the path ahead.

After Mr. McGrath concluded his studies at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor of Commerce in 1963, he secured a job as an investment banker at A. E. Ames & Co. He built a reputation as an advisor of intellect, judiciousness and integrity during 35 years of mergers and market cycles. He retired in 1998 as vice-president and director of RBC Dominion Securities.

Mako Oishi worked alongside Mr. McGrath for 13 years as his secretary from 1968 to 1981. She, her now-late husband Sam and their son Kazuo have remained friends with the McGrath family to this day.

She supported “this shining young star” as he built relationships with key companies from various industries, particularly with major Japanese banks, investment and insurance institutions and trading companies.

Oishi affectionately calls her mentor and friend “a man of all seasons” because of how he remained capable and principled no matter the challenge or situation he faced. She learned many lessons from Mr. McGrath’s example day by day.

“Be gracious, kind to everybody and humble,” said Oishi. “Do whatever you can for others if possible, and that we are born to give. He also has a strong faith. It just gave us a great lesson. He was a remarkable man in every respect.”

Oishi spoke warmly about Mr. McGrath’s devotion to his eight children, seven with his first wife Anne, who passed away in 1988, and one with his surviving spouse Aileen. She also admired how Mr. McGrath raised his seven children after Anne’s death, and for his temperament amid his trials and tribulations.

“John was always a most well-balanced man. I never saw him so irritated, disturbed or annoyed. He was always the same person. It doesn’t matter if it was the saddest or happiest moment. This was a reason why he had respect from everybody.”

His disposition and skill made him a very appealing mentor to many of his younger colleagues, and this was a role Mr. McGrath greatly valued. Among the significant figures in the Canadian financial world guided by Mr. McGrath was Gord Nixon, the president, CEO and director of the Royal Bank of Canada from 2001 to 2014. They worked alongside each other at RBC Dominion Securities for over a decade.

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Nixon shared that integrity and trustworthiness are qualities he credits Mr. McGrath for imparting to him.

“In business it is very easy to do the expedient thing, or the thing that produces the most immediate results, but John would always do the right thing for his clients,” said Nixon, a member of the Order of Canada. “He would provide the best advice.”

Nixon, Collins and Oishi shared that Mr. McGrath had so many options when he retired from RBC Dominion Securities. Each said it is a testament to his character and lifelong commitment to his faith that he accepted an opportunity to serve as chancellor of temporal affairs.

He was hired by Cardinal Ambrozic and began with the archdiocese in September 2001, and within days of his tenure, 9/11 unfolded. Concerns abounded about whether World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, one of the largest undertakings in archdiocesan history, could potentially be at risk.

During Mr. McGrath’s 2012 Register interview, he reminisced about that first episcopal board meeting and remembered “the commitment of the bishops to providing leadership and comfort to the faithful.”

Ultimately, World Youth Day 2002 with Pope John Paul II from July 23-28 drew thousands of faithful youth to the city and attracted more than 800,000 people for the closing papal Mass.

Mr. McGrath’s contribution to World Youth Day was managing financial logistics. He was also a strong identifier of talent. For example, he hired Arthur Peters, the director of development and the ShareLife charitable appeal, in 2005, and Peters has remained in those roles to this date.

Peters shared that Mr. McGrath “was always supportive and very good with advice. He didn’t micromanage and was here to help and guide. He would provide wise counsel and allow us to think through our problems. He would talk it through with you and discuss the best option to move forward. That is what I appreciated.”

Jim Milway, Mr. McGrath’s successor as chancellor of temporal affairs from 2012 to 2022, first came to know his predecessor as a consultant for the archdiocese, and quickly came to admire his integrity and trustworthiness. He respected Mr. McGrath’s instinct to “not offer advice unless asked for it,” and his generosity to offer wise counsel when he was asked.

Milway shared one experience shortly after Mr. McGrath retired that typified his consummate professionalism and respect for those who come after him.

“An organization that we dealt with did not like the way (something) was going and they called John who was no longer in the post,” said Milway. “He made it quite clear, ‘don’t be calling me. You call Jim.’ He wouldn’t entertain the idea of getting involved. I asked for his advice in that situation, but that was me calling him. He would never stick his nose in.”

McGrath remained active with many Catholic organizations for years after his retirement. Through the years, he served with Bloorview MacMillan, the Loretto Sisters, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto, Manresa Retreat Centre, the National Catholic Broadcasting Council, Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Vatican Museums and the Southdown Institute. He also helped establish the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute and served on the Senate, the Collegium and the investment committee of his alma mater, the University of St. Michael’s College.  

But above all it was about family.

“Every one of his children that I ever met is wonderful,” said Milway. “They are salt of the earth, straightforward, pleasant, generous with their time and treasure. What a great legacy for John McGrath when you look at his family and how much they loved him.”

McGrath’s son Peter and daughter Irene relayed a special story to the Register about a providential encounter with a priest named Fr. Anthony Nguyen in Toronto General Hospital the morning he died.

Peter arrived at the hospital at 5:30 a.m., and it was pitch dark. He walked past a man wearing a light blue shirt and a clerical collar. After walking 20 more steps, Peter felt called to go back and ask the man if he was a Catholic priest. The cleric said yes and immediately agreed to come and see Mr. McGrath in his hospital bed.

“When we finally reached him, the priest gave him a small piece of Communion (he could barely swallow) and administered the Last Rites,” said Peter in an email. “Dad was extremely weak and largely unresponsive by then. But when the prayers began, he lifted his hands and took mine, and my sister’s, so that we could pray together. It was an extraordinary and deeply peaceful moment for the three of us.”

Peter wrote that he "found it difficult to think of it as merely a coincidence. To me, it felt like a small miracle and a final grace for Dad: that on his last morning, he was able to receive the sacraments, hold the hands of two of his children, pray with us and prepare to pass peacefully into God’s hands.”

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The McGrath family expresses gratitude to Fr. Nguyen for his kindness and to Msgr. Frank McDevitt of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church for visiting on several occasions and providing solace.

To honour Mr. McGrath’s life, donations in his memory may be made to the Yonge Street Mission, the University Health Network or ShareLife.

(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)