DONALD GEORGE FINNIE (DON)

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DONALD GEORGE FINNIE
1944 - 2020

Born in Carman, MB, on May 13, 1944, Don was the only son of George and Gladys (Thompson) Finnie, who farmed near Homewood. He died unexpectedly (presumably of heart failure) in his home in Eastend, SK, at the end of June, 2020.
He leaves behind his much-loved daughter, Dee-ya Hartford and grandchildren, Jocelyn and Spencer Bernard (Calgary), as well as two older sisters, Beverley (Finnie) Scott of Winnipeg and Roslyn (Finnie) Rosenfeld of Fredericton.
Don spent his working life in the lithographic trade following apprenticeship in Montreal in the late 1960s. He worked briefly in Toronto and much longer in Regina (where he met Dee-ya's mother, Michelle), then Victoria, Vancouver and finally Langley, BC. Following retirement in 2009, he spent several years in Medicine Hat. In 2013 he bought a little house in Eastend, SK, which he renovated with the fine attention to detail that had marked his career in lithography. He was just finishing up the back porch when he died.
For Dee-ya, Don was the only father in her life and his devotion to her, and then to Jocelyn and Spencer was total. He never missed a birthday or dance recital or the chance to see Spencer move up to the next bike.
Don loved people and he loved to talk. In his moves across the country, he made (and kept) many fast friends. His long phone gabfests were legendary. He loved hockey - especially juniors' games - and loved to skate himself. He had wonderful hi-tech bikes and biked regularly as well as being a serious walker. He became a great reader in retirement, tending to more and more incendiary left-wing writings. And while he loved all music, and dancing too, it was the Blues and especially Bluegrass that he was passionate about. His long, animated phone calls may be what we all miss the most.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 03, 2021