Obituary of Chris Findlay

Passed away peacefully in Brockville on May 16, 2019, surrounded by family. Survived by his wife Joan (née Hopkins), brother Seaton (Sue Garland), sister Penelope (Allen Sackmann), children Jamieson, Scott, Jonathan, Andrea (Christopher Shields), Susan, and grandchildren Anneke, Aiden, Saraya, Maeve, Brigh and Eibhlin. Predeceased by sister Julia.

The eldest son of the late David K. and Kathleen Findlay (née Seaton), Chris was born on October 20, 1932, into the stove-making Findlay family of Carleton Place, Ontario. In 1958 he married Joan Beatrice Hopkins, and together they raised five children. He received BSc and MSc degrees (Geology) from McGill University, and a PhD (Geology) from Queen’s University. Chris spent much of his career with the Geological Survey of Canada, retiring as the Director General, Minerals and Continental Geoscience Branch, in 1995. In the later stages of his career, Chris was involved in international work, particularly with projects under the auspices of UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences. He was the founder and first chairperson of the International Consortium of Geological Surveys. Chris received an honorary doctorate from the University of Quebec in 1996, in part for his role in helping to establish the Quebec Geoscience Center. In his younger years Chris was an enthusiastic pilot, and a love of boating lasted his entire life. His later interests included local conservancy issues. Chris was that rare thing, a man both wise and caring, and a humorist to the end.

A celebration of life will be held on June 1st, 2019, at the Barclay Funeral Home in Brockville, from 2 to 5 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest planting of memorial trees through TreeCanada (www.treecanada.ca).