Bruce Quigley

Quigley, H. Bruce - 60, of Goderich, Ontario passed away suddenly on November 1st, 2020. Bruce will be greatly missed by son David Quigley (Grace) of Valley, beloved grandson Finn Quigley, son Brian Quigley of Dartmouth, parents Sharon and Dr. Michael Quigley of Halifax. Bruce will also be greatly missed by siblings Gerry Quigley of Halifax, Karen Quigley (Ted Scanlan) of Belnan, Chris Quigley (Nadine Church) of Hubbards, David Quigley (Shelley) of Halifax, Michal Ann Cochran (John) of Tantallon. He was dearly loved by his many nieces and nephews.

Bruce was born in Charlottetown PEI, on January 9th, 1960. After graduating from Amherst Regional High School, Bruce attended Dalhousie University in Halifax, obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce, followed by a Masters of Health Care Administration. Although he worked in both private and public sectors of health care, the majority of his career had been working toward better public health care delivery in Nova Scotia.

Following his graduation in 1987, Bruce was appointed Chief Financial Officer at Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Middleton, Nova Scotia. He was then named Chief Executive Officer in 1990, serving seven years in that role. In 1997, he transferred to the provincial Department of Health, as one of four regional directors. In that role, he was responsible for the design of governance and leadership structures for the new district health authorities created in 2000. In that year, he was selected as inaugural CEO for the Cumberland Health Authority (CHA) in Northwestern Nova Scotia. He returned home to Amherst with his young family to take up that position. Under Bruce’s leadership, health care services in Cumberland County were transformed into a model of excellence that was recognized provincially and nationally. After much hard work and determination by Bruce and his team, a broad complement of specialty services are now offered. Community based and primary care services continued to grow and thrive, including the formation of rural practice networks where family physicians, nurse practitioners, and other professionals work as a team to meet the care needs of their communities. This laid the groundwork for one of CHA’s greatest achievements, the establishment of the province's very first collaborative emergency centre. Opening in Parrsboro in 2011, the CEC model went on to be introduced in other Nova Scotia communities, and in other jurisdictions across the country based on the framework developed by Bruce’s team in Cumberland County. In Bruce’s own words from 2015, “We should all be exceedingly proud of the heath care legacy of the Cumberland Health Authority!”

In 2016, Bruce accepted a position as President & CEO at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich, Ontario. In 2018, Bruce accepted an additional position as President & CEO of the South Huron Hospital Association. In these positions, Bruce was recognized as an outstanding leader and collaborator and will be missed deeply.

Bruce was recognized by the Cumberland County Municipal Council in 2007, for his “leadership in the improvement of health care services for residents of Cumberland County”. The rotary club of Amherst honoured Bruce in 2011, with the Paul Harris Fellow Award. In the same year, Bruce was invited to be present and recognized in the Nova Scotia Legislature by the Honourable Maureen MacDonald, Minister of Health and Wellness, for CHA’s accomplishments with respect to establishing the first of the Collaborative Emergency Centres. Bruce was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his significant contributions to his community. Of all Bruce’s accomplishments, he was most proud of being part of a loving family.

Bruce enjoyed spending time golfing, boating, his annual father and sons weekend at the family cottage, and his many years attending the annual CLD in Wallace. Most of all, Bruce enjoyed spending quality time with his boys and the rest of his family. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and numerous colleagues from over the years.

Visitation will be held on November 7th, 2020 at JA Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, NS, followed by a public visitation from 4:00-6:00 PM. Memorial donations in Bruce’s honour can be made to the Cumberland Health Care Foundation, 19428 Highway 2, Amherst, NS, Canada, B4H 1N6 (902-667-5400 ext. 6126) or a charity of your choice.

To view or place an online message of condolence please visit www.jasnowfuneralhome.com