High court to settle dispute over missing professor’s pension

The Supreme Court of Canada will decide whether an Ottawa university can reclaim almost $500,000 in pension payments to a professor who went missing before being found dead in the woods near his home.

George Roseme, aprofessor at Carleton University, was 77 and suffering from Alzheimer’s disease when he disappeared in September 2007.

A six-day search of the area near Roseme’s home in nearby west Quebec failed to locate him.

Roseme had signed a memorandum agreeing that his pension payments would cease with his death, rather than going to his heirs or estate.

When the university learned of Roseme’s disappearance, Carleton informed Lynne Threlfall — his former partner and recipient of the pension monies — that it would cease payments.

The university was forced to reversed the decision after Threlfall pointed out that under Quebec law, Roseme was presumed to be alive for seven years after his disappearance or until there was proof of death.

In July 2013, Roseme’s remains were discovered by a dog, and a coroner’s investigation concluded he had died in 2007.

Shortly afterward, the university went to court to recoup the $497,332 in pension monies paid to Threlfall since 2008. Threlfall unsuccessfully argued in that she should not have to return the payments.