John R. FINLAY

JOHN R. FINLAY John R. Finlay QC, CFA, born August 22, 1939, in Toronto, Canada, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2023. Loving father to Sue-Ann (Kevin Moher), Heather (Jonathan Lister) and Shannon (David Boriss). Devoted grandad to Heather, Liam, and Christopher; Ruby, Finn, Ivy, and Ozzy; Isabel, Olive, and Juliet. John's greatest pride was his three daughters, Sue-Ann, Heather, and Shannon; who were lovingly raised together with his wife, Janet (Little). Although he and Janet separated after a marriage of 25 years, they maintained a strong and loving relationship to the end. He later married Liz (Thomas) and his bond to her remained forever, despite her passing at an early age. In his later years, John enjoyed his time with his companion, Mary Corley. He was very proud of his 10 grandchildren, and was an involved 'grandad' who loved nothing more than attending a grandchild's sporting or school event, or hearing updates about their latest endeavours. John was adopted as an infant by Percy and Elsie Finlay, and was raised by them with his sister, Mary-Jane. His appreciation for his upbringing stayed with him throughout his life and was key to his early involvement with the Children's Aid Foundation of Canada. Following the passing of his parents, John began an extensive 5 year search to find his birth mother. After connecting with her, he went on to develop a close relationship with his birth siblings, Rob and Deb. He attended John Ross Public School, moving to Upper Canada College in high school, and then to Western University where he completed his degree in Law. The friendships made at Western, Upper Canada, and as a child at Big Bay Point lasted a lifetime. He was fortunate to have a friend group with relationships spanning eight decades. John practiced law only long enough to find his true passion, investment management. An early pioneer of the mutual fund industry, he completed his CFA while practicing law and advised early entrants to the fund management business. He was on the board of U.E. Fund Management Ltd., Mackenzie Financial and CI Financial. His career was focused on private investment and his daily routine was to be on top of markets. John loved to travel and had many adventures. He was in Moscow for the '72 Summit Series, he somehow wore a green jacket at Augusta, and he had an impromptu private audience with Pope John Paul II, to name a few. In addition to his love of travel, John was known for his passion for cars and boats, both vintage and new, and he could often be found on the golf course perfecting his infamous long drive. Above all, John was known for his humour and wit which brightened the day of those around him until the very end. The family want to thank his incredible and loving caregivers Virginia, Angelina, Linda, Angelei, Sunhan, and Arnie, and the team at Mount Sinai Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care. They, together with his three daughters, were instrumental in fulfilling his wish to remain in his home. At John's request, the family will be hosting a private celebration of life in the weeks ahead. If you would like to honour John, donations can be made to Children's Aid Foundation of Canada (cafdn.org/johnfinlay).