Neill Currie

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 11 Jan 1995

Neill Edward Currie (June 24, 1921 – January 11, 1995) was a Canadian economist, World War II veteran, and Rhodes Scholar.

Early life

Neill Currie was born on 24 June 1921 in Port Arthur, Ontario. His parents were Anna Bryant (Snook) and Alexander Clapperton Currie, who worked as a station agent with the Canadian Pacific Railway for 41 years until his retirement in 1948. As a child, Currie lived in the Manitoba communities of Oakbank, Foxwarren, Portage la Prairie, and Transcona, now a suburb of Winnipeg. Currie and his family moved to Winnipeg in 1933.

Education

Currie attended Gordon Bell High School in Winnipeg.

From 1937 to 1941 he worked with Canadian Pacific Telegraphs in Winnipeg and Port Arthur.

In 1942, Currie received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba.

After his graduation, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and served as a heavy bomber pilot. He completed a tour of operations and in April 1945 was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross , a military decoration instituted for “an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy.”

After returning from his service, he attended Queen’s University.

In 1945 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen’s University.

In 1947 he received his Master of Arts degree in economics from the University of Toronto.

He returned to Winnipeg and was appointed assistant professor of political economy (economics?) at United College, now the University of Winnipeg.

In 1948, he won a Rhodes Scholarship. He studied in Oxford, England for three years. In 1951 he earned his Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford.

Career

In 1951, he returned to Canada and worked in the Economics and Statistics Branch of the Department of Defence Production for a year.

In 1952, he entered the Department of External Affairs.

From 1953 to 1961 he worked in that department at the United Nations in New York and as Canadian Consul in Bogota, Columbia.

In 1961, he left the Department of External Affairs for the Head Office of the Bank of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec.

Currie was assistant economic adviser at the bank for four years.

In 1965, he succeeded John E. Toten to become economic adviser.

In 1967, he became Vice-President and Economic Advisor at the bank.

In 1979, he left the Bank and in May 1979 became economic advisor to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Retirement

Currie retired in 1981 but remained active with many organizations and causes until the end of his life.

Currie lived for many years in Westmount, an affluent suburb on the Island of Montreal.

Currie was remembered as having a passion for gardening, with his obituary noting that his garden in Westmount won many prizes. With this hobby he appears to have followed in the footsteps of his father Alexander Clapperton Currie, who was similarly remembered for prize-winning gardening.

On 11 January 1995, Currie died at his home in Montreal following a lengthy illness.

Currie was buried at Thomson In The Park Cemetery in Winnipeg. The epitaph on his tombstone notes his achievement as a 1948 Rhodes Scholar.

According to an obituary published in the Winnipeg Free Press, “[h]is extended family will miss his affection for them and interest in their lives, his involvement and devotion to community issues, and his unending desire to learn, educate, and share his knowledge.”

“A conservationist and wildlife enthusiast, he moderated groups on tropical ecosystems. He was also President of Contactivity Centre for Seniors, founding member and President of Seniors of Westmount Action Group and Board Member of Senior Citizens Forum of Greater Montreal.”

Relationship with Michael Currie

Michael Currie met him at least once or twice at his Montréal mansion, once perhaps on the way to France in 1987. He also visited Thunder Bay. They were both present at the wedding of Neill's nephew Greg Gillis in 1992.

Published Works

Currie, N. E. (1964). North American Partnership: The Intergovernmental Machinery for Cooperation. Intercom, 16-45.