Wayne Albert Finck

Wayne was married to Peggie, and together they raised their two children, Dan and Julie (Doucette).

He, along with his siblings, Larry, Bobby, Christine (Lou Christian) and Albert (Jackie) were part of the close-knit St. Thomas Aquinas School neighbourhood. He went on to St. Pat’s High and then completed his physical education degree at Dalhousie. He was predeceased by his parents, Albert and Mona.

Wayne had a passion for active living. He was a stand out lacrosse player, playing for Nova Scotia in the 1969 Canada Games and going on to play professionally for the Montreal Quebecois of the National Lacrosse League in 1975.

Throughout his playing career and long after, Wayne poured himself into sharing his love of the sport of lacrosse through coaching, officiating, educating, and organizing. He was involved in all aspects of the game in NS and was a mentor to all. In 2010 he was inducted in the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame for his contributions as a builder.

He loved his profession, teaching physical education. He has many lifelong friendships from his time teaching at Quebec High where he started his career. He cherished his coworkers, students, and the families of Ecole Rockingham School, where he spent the majority of his years, retiring in 2011. He holds a special place in the heart of many of his students for the positive impact he had on their lives.

Wayne lived retirement to the fullest, and truly did it his way. He was continuously planning the next adventure with Peggie, and accomplished his goal of visiting a new country each year, including a hiking trip to the top of Machu Picchu. They enjoyed many vacations with friends where his special laughter was sure to be heard, especially while enjoying a ‘tall one’. He spent the winters skiing in Colorado with his family and friends. He couldn’t get enough of the Rocky Mountain powder and bluebird days, as family in Halifax heard over Facetime about yet another ‘best day yet’. The summers were filled with camping, biking, and traveling the East Coast in his beloved camper.

He had all the time in the world for his family. His passions for skiing, camping, and sport were shared with Peggie and passed along to Dan and Julie. He had a huge influence on Dan who followed his footsteps to play professional lacrosse, and on Julie who became a teacher and lacrosse coach. He lovingly welcomed Dan’s wife Mary and Julie’s husband Jonathan to the family and he was very ‘hands-on’ in both of their family homes helping with home renovations and projects.

In the past few years he got to share his passions and his time with his four grandchildren Zoe, Zack, Kara, and Grayson. He took delight in organizing adventures, always with a sparkle in his eyes. He loved taking them biking, skiing, tobogganing, camping, and to the beach and took pleasure in ending every trip with a Grandpa-made hot chocolate or ice cream cone.

In the wake of Wayne’s passing, a private family service will be held. A celebration of life will be planned for a later date.

To commemorate his life, and in lieu of flowers, donations are being taken to support children in financial hardship to play lacrosse. A memorial fund has been set up through Lacrosse Nova Scotia and can be found at www.lacrossens.ca. Also in his memory, the family hopes you will take some time to pick up your stick and have a catch, or to ski, bike, or hike in order to reminisce about the fun times you shared with Wayne.