Rheal Finnigan

It is with great sadness and much love that we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father Rheal Joseph Finnigan. He passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on March 26th, 2021 at the age of 80 years.

Rheal was born on September 5th, 1940 in Rogersville, NB. He will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 56 years Jeannine Finnigan, sons Darryl and Mike, daughters Laurie (husband Darren Rowland) and Tracy, grandchildren Kayla and Grace, great grandson Cohen, his sisters Maria, Rosemarie, Marlene, his brothers Gerry and Fred (wife Darlene Finnigan), along with many loving extended family members, colleagues, and dear friends. Rheal was predeceased by his father Gerard Finnigan, his stepfather Willie Lavoie, his mother Irene Lavoie, and his brothers Andy and Claude.

He was truly “one-of-a kind” who excelled in sports, particularly diving, gymnastics, and golf. Rheal had a passion for fishing, traveling, and exploring the great outdoors. He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1964 and enjoyed a long and successful career with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Canada, pioneering and establishing new techniques in salmon habitat restoration and enhancement. He was incredibly talented, dedicated, and passionate about his work, and deeply cared about the salmon resource.

After Rheal retired he joined the Watershed Restoration Program where he provided habitat restoration expertise, guidance, and supervision to Provincial fisheries staff throughout B.C., and loved sharing new ideas and teaching. Rheal will always be remembered for his creativity, his problem-solving ability, and his relentless focus and drive that was tempered with compassion and kindness and a wonderful sense of humour.

An online streaming memorial service will be held on Friday, April 9th. The time and details will follow on this website. In lieu of flowers, donations can kindly be made to the charity of your wishes.