[1] Contie was in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, leaving with the rank of sergeant.
He was in private practice in Canton from 1960 to 1969 and was the judge of the Stark County Court of Common Pleas from 1969 to 1971.
[1] President Richard Nixon nominated Contie to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on November 19, 1971, to the seat vacated by Judge James C. Connell.
[1] President Ronald Reagan nominated Contie to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on January 26, 1982, to the seat vacated by Judge Anthony J. Celebrezze.
He assumed senior status on June 30, 1986, and remained on the court until his death on May 11, 2001, in Cleveland, Ohio.