Clement, William Pope

William Pope Clement was born August 26th, 1887 to Edwin Perry Clement and Janie Elizabeth Bowlby Clement in Berlin (Kitchener). He was allegedly named for his paternal grandmother’s favourite cousin, William Henry Pope of P.E.I., one of the Fathers of Confederation. He was first educated in Kitchener and later at University of Toronto for both his bachelor of arts in 1909 and his L.L.B. in 1912. In May of the same year he began practicing law in the family firm of Bowlby, Colquhoun and Clement. He also worked in local politics serving as an alderman, and two terms as Mayor of Kitchener (1923-26 and 1929-30). Later on in his law career he was County Crown Attorney and in 1936 was appointed King’s Council and in 1945 elected a bencher of the Provincial Law Society. He was also an active member in the Rotary Club for many years. Besides his work, his biggest passion was music. He began playing violin at the age of twelve with the Concordia Club Choir. While at school in Toronto he accompanied many singers, and the glee club. Back in Kitchener he played organ for three separate churches and sang with the K-W Philharmonic Choir. In 1945 William Pope was one of those involved in the establishment of the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra in which he played the viola for 25 years. He also wrote his own compositions and lyrics.

In 1915 William Pope married 20 year old Muriel Alberta Kerr (1895-1975) of Woodstock. Muriel was a physical education teacher in public and high schools, but quit after her marriage to William Pope. Although she quit teaching, she never quit her active membership in society, in particular her work with immigrants and as an anti-racism activist. She was the founder of the K-W Council of Friendship which promoted racial harmony and helped new-comers with education and language. For her work with this organization she was named Woman of the Year for K-W in 1949 and given the Centennial Award by the K-W chapter of Canadian Council of Christians and Jews in 1967. She was also a life director of the women’s committee of the K-W Symphony, and an active member of the Evangelist Anglican Church. Muriel and William Pope had one daughter Elizabeth (Betty) Clement Stewart born in 1916. Muriel and William also adopted a niece, Margaret Chellew Adams Clement Forbes. William Pope died May 21, 1982 at the age of 94 and continued to practice law until the end of his life. Muriel died in 1975.

• Mayor William Pope Clement - Waterloo Region Generations