Born:

Call Year:

Distinguished as:

Youngest President of The Hamilton Law Association

 HLA Library dedicated to his memory

Biography:

Born to Anthony and Mary Pepe on November 1st, 1946, Anthony Michael Jude Pepe became affectionately known as “Anthony” to is mother, Mary; “Tone” to his wife, Maggie; “Daddy” to his daughters Megan and Andrea; and “Tony” to his family and friends. His legal career took root suddenly one day in his home town of Peterborough, when, Tony, who for most of his educated life had a yen for the sciences and specifically chemistry, revealed to his mother that he couldn’t see himself working in a laboratory for the rest of his life and that he had chosen law as his career. So with relative ease he completed law school at Osgoode Hall and with his new wife, Maggie, he moved to Nova Scotia to become a public defender. It was there that his career as a trial lawyer began to take shape. With an unusual flare and an innovative application of the law, he successfully defended his clients in numerous criminal cases. However, after two years, he and Maggie moved back to Ontario.

In 1973 he was called to the Bar and eventually established his own law practice in the City of Hamilton. With the initial guidance and experience that he received from his friend and collogue, Herman Turkstra, Tony soon became a reputable master of his craft. As a trial lawyer, his message became loud and clear – he would represent his clients energetically and fearlessly. Tony’s reputation became so formidable that he became the President of The Hamilton Law Association in 1983, the youngest at the time of his election. In addition, became one of the select few in Hamilton to receive referral work from other solicitors. He decided to become a member of the New York State Bar, because of his fascination with the American law; on January 15th, 1986, his dream became a reality. Tony also had another dream, that of establishing a law firm of reputable litigants and commercial lawyers. On June 1st, 1986, that dream became a reality today known as Turkstra, Mazza Lawyers; however, Tony sadly did not see that dream as he passed away in May of that year.

Source: Eulogy dated May 1986 by Randy Mazza