Trepassey honours firefighter for 50 years of service
Gandhi said the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
The above quote is very fitting for a Trepassey resident who has volunteered his time to many organizations and activities over the past 50 years. Con Finlay recently received a well-deserved award from the local fire department for 50 years of service as a volunteer fireman. During that time, he was fire chief for a number of years and was treasurer up until he retired in 2020.
This humble gentleman is one who never wanted to be recognized for his volunteerism. I believe in the quote, “give praise where praise is due,” and Con Finlay is due much praise and acknowledgment for all he has done, whether he was on a committee or not. He has done a lot of work behind the scenes that most of us were not even aware of. For many years he volunteered his time as chairman of the Parish Finance Committee, and also served on the Cemetery Committee and with the Knights of Columbus. He was always there to help with the Bereavement Committee, and he also served a four-year term as Town Mayor.
He was also the person who took care of the Trepassey Community Hall. Since 1988, he took responsibility of ordering all supplies for any events held there. This included approaching the RCMP and Liquor Corp. for bar licenses for all functions and taking inventory following those functions. There would sometimes be as many as 12 of these events a year (including the New Year’s Eve Ball).
Con was always there for the Parish Priest, and still is, no matter what was needed with regards to the Parish House or the Church. His presence in the church is well noted and he is very active helping with the cleaning and decorating of same. Many a cold and early winter morning, while we were snuggled in our warm beds, he would get up and head to the church to turn on the heat and clean the ice and snow from the steps in preparation for Sunday’s Mass. For years, he accompanied and transported the Priest to and from St. Shotts for weekend masses and or funerals.
Another notable contribution of Con’s, coupled with all of the above, is the many years of devotion and dedication to school sports teams, especially basketball, at Stella Maris Academy when sports were in full bloom. He served on a committee where a lot of organization and fund-raising events were planned and Con, being the treasurer, took care of all financial aspects. He was one of their greatest supporters. There were not many basketball games or tournaments he missed and I’m sure the players appreciated him for this.
They say that one of the greatest gifts you can give is your time, and this man has certainly given his time to help keep the community of Trepassey alive.
Congratulations Con, and thank you for your many years of service.
Judy Brazil,
Trepassey
