After a short illness Henry “Hank” Charles Finlayson passed away on February 25 at the Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg.
Hank is survived by his children, Janet (Gerald) Gruenke, Doug Finlayson and Paul (Olga) Finlayson, grandchildren, Benjamin, Christian, Jonah, Steven, Tobias, Joseph, Vanya and Sophia.
Hank was born in Vulcan, AB at the start of the Great Depression to Arthur and Georgina Finlayson; he grew up on the family farm near Ensign. Between repairing balers, catching gophers, and adopting the occasional orphaned hawk or raccoon, Hank attended one room schoolhouses in the Vulcan area. He excelled in his studies, winning numerous scholastic awards and prizes, and tolerated school sports enough to park himself in the baseball outfield where he became one of the few outfielders to read poetry on the job.
After high school Hank studied mathematics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Joined by his cousins Jean and Jack they lived in a small bungalow and entertained themselves by shortsheeting each other’s beds and getting into other mischief. Hank received a master’s degree and was soon offered a teaching position at the University of Manitoba where, after earning a PhD at the University of Minnesota, he went on to become an associate professor at the University of Manitoba.
At university Hank was appreciated by the students, though a few wondered why he read them Yeats during calculus class. Hank had no stomach for titles, he was Hank to everyone.
Hank was introduced to his wife Joan by her friend Joyce at his cousin Jack’s wedding in 1955 and Hank and Joan were married on a splendid Vancouver summer day in 1957. They were happily married until Joan’s death in 1986.
Hank was well known for his generosity – with both time and money. He often helped people out, fixing a friend’s car, giving a group of ladies a ride to church, passing out soup at the homeless shelter and was often accompanied on his journeys by the family Westie Misty resting on his shoulders. He had a special friendship with Bea, and in his later years he enjoyed the companionship of Bunny and his weekday gang of retirees who took up a few tables at McDonalds.
He was a man with little pretence; he felt equally at home with anyone, no matter what their status. He also was a man of deep Christian faith and had many friends at Bethesda Church in Winnipeg and the Vulcan Church of Christ, which he attended when he was at his farm. Many will miss him dearly and while those on earth mourn him, he believed, as it says in First Corinthians, “Death where is your sting?”
Today, we are assured he is rejoicing in heaven with his waiting wife Joan and precious saviour Jesus. Right now, he’s probably up there tooting the horn on an old Model T.
In memory of Henry, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
Funeral: Thursday, March 3, 2:00 PM CT at Bethesda Church, 1350 Grant Ave., Winnipeg.
Streaming Link: https://youtu.be/uTbwX17M81I
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17