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Colleagues mourning the death of Crown prosecutor Bill Cadigan

Friends and colleagues are mourning the death of Bill Cadigan, a well-known Crown prosecutor from St. John's.

Cadigan passed away unexpectedly on Sunday. He was 54.

He was born and raised in St. John's, and attended St. Bonaventure's and Brother Rice schools. Cadigan studied law at the University of New Brunswick, and was called to the bar in 1990.

Cadigan practised law with O'Brien, Furey, Smith until 1997, when he was appointed the executive director of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association.

In 2000, he became a Crown prosecutor - where he's worked ever since.

Cadigan leaves behind his partner Alanna Greene, his sons Teddy and Jack, their mother Janet Case, and his step-daughter Anna Winter.

Working with Bill

Shawn Patten said Cadigan was one of the first people he met when he started at the Crown attorney's office almost eight years ago.

"[Cadigan] was very charismatic and accommodating to me, right from the start," Patten said.

"He wanted to help me out and show me things, and I appreciated that — especially being new to the Crown attorney's office."

Patten said early into his time at the office, he would follow Cadigan around. He said he remembers Cadigan as being distinct from the other prosecutors.

"He carved his own path in reaching the objectives of our profession. It's difficult work, and sometimes it's easy to lose focus on I guess the people side of what we do, because we have so many files, and we're dealing with so many different issues," Patten said.

"But I remember watching Bill … and at that point, Bill was a prosecutor for years — Bill never, ever lost sight of the personal side. He always made time to chat with everybody … he didn't care who it was, he treated everybody equally."

Patten said Cadigan was compassionate, and understanding of people's plights.

"I don't think he ever struggled with separating the human side from the work component," he said.

According to Patten, Cadigan was always thinking of others while at the office.

"Bill always would check with you to see if you needed a hand in the morning, which is odd, because we're all so busy," Patten said.

"I come in, and like everybody, you've got to dig into what you're doing. And Bill would come around, and knock on your door, and say, 'Need a hand with anything, buddy?' that's what he'd always say.

"And I'd be like, 'No, I'm good.' And I'd think, 'You know, if I needed a hand, he's going to drop what he's doing and give me a hand,' and that's my greatest memory of him."

'Wittiest person in court'

Cadigan was known for his humour and quick wit, which often made appearances when he was in the courtroom.

Patten said the comments, that would roll off of Cadigan's tongue so naturally, would "lift the atmosphere in the room."

"Bill was the most wittiest person in court," he said.

"That was one of Bill's strengths. He was just compassionate, and also he was funny, charismatic, he was witty — he was everything. He was a great fellow."

Feeling the loss

Patten said his coworkers gathered on Monday to talk about Cadigan's passing.

"You can see the impact, because the people that have only known him for a short period of time were upset, and there's tears in people's eyes, just from that short exposure to him," he said.

"So without question, it's been difficult. And it's going to be hard to work without him in the office, because he was a shining light here."

But it's not just those at the Crown Attorney's office who are feeling the loss.

"Bill was such a personality," Patten said.

"Individuals he often prosecuted knew him and they liked him — this was the thing, they really liked him, and they remembered him and they knew him by name because Bill had that component to him. He was able to relate to a lot of individuals, and the problems and the strife they were having that brought them before the criminal justice system … and that's what's going to be missed."