Prince George, B.C.-  A former  Prince George lawyer  who  went on to become a Justice with the B.C. Court of Appeal  has  died.

Justice Richard (Dick) Low has passed away, he was 74.

A graduate of  the University of British Columbia, Justice Low  moved to Prince George after being called to the bar in 1965.  He practiced with the firm of Hope, Heinrich and Co,  then later with Wilson, King and Company.

Appointed as a Justice to the County Court of Prince Rupert, in 1977, three months shy of his 38th birthday, he was the youngest  to ever have been appointed to that Court.  He would be appointed to the Supreme Court of B.C. in 1990 and to the Court of Appeal  in 2000.

He was the longest serving  federally appointed judge sitting in Canada.

"I have known Dick Low since I was a young articled law student in Prince George” says  B.C.’s Chief Justice Robert J. Bauman, “He mentored me and numerous young lawyers and judges over his long judicial career. For a man appointed at a very young age to the bench, he never lost his ability to relate to his greater community nor his empathy for the people who appeared before him. Judge Low was assuredly learned in the law but above all he was rich in common sense and an appreciation for simple justice."

In a statement issued today, the Court of Appeal says Justice Low will be remembered “for his quiet good humour and ultimate gentleness of spirit, as well as his unparalleled breadth of experience as a judge.”