Legendary lawyer Don Tait dead at 76
One of the most high-profile lawyers to ever practise in Windsor has died.
Don Tait died Monday in South Africa where he was working as an addiction counsellor at a rehab centre for the past 15 years. He was 76 years old.
According to Veronique Mandal, a former journalist who published a biography on Tait, he had recently been in a car accident which resulted in Tait falling and hitting his head.
Tait's granddaughter Courtney Brablec said he had undergone surgery for the injury, but was too frail to recover.
"He was my favourite person in the world," said Brablec. "I loved him more than anything."
Mandal explained Tait turned his life around from nearly dying from alcoholism to become "one of the most spiritual people I know."
"He was always very proud of being able to help people," said Mandal, who covered Tait for the Windsor Star during his career and fall from grace.
She said the problems that ended his legal career began in the late 90s, after throat surgery left him unable to confidently practise law.
Tait had been a recovering alcoholic, but after relapsing in 1999 he was charged and convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. He fled to Costa Rica where Mandal tracked him down, finding him nearly drinking himself to death.
A call girl cashed in an airline ticket and sent him home to face justice. After serving his time, he stayed with long-time friend and mentor Frank Montello, who recalls the early days when Tait worked in Montello's law office.
"He did a remarkable job in court. He was very generous with his time in dealing with people who really couldn't afford a lawyer," said Montello.
Montello said Tait stayed with him for about two years before deciding to go to South Africa to take a job as an addiction counsellor at the Cedars Addiction Treatment Centre.
"I came home one afternoon and there was his farewell letter thanking me for putting up with him," said Montello.
Former legal partner Bob DiPietro described Tait as "bigger than life."
"Don was just a tremendously talented lawyer," he said. "Don was as tough as they come. Talk about nine lives. He was probably on his tenth or eleventh life."
Montello said a memorial celebration is being organized in Windsor and will take place in about a month.
