Teresa Anne Doherty Finnegan

My mom was born Ann Theresa Doherty in Blackrock, Co. Louth, Ireland on March 18, 1947. We all knew her as Teresa. She lived in Blackrock with her father Johnny, mother Mary (Molly) and sister Moria. Although Teresa lived most of her life in Canada, she was an Irish girl at heart and still called Ireland home. She loved the green fields and the smell of the Irish Sea. She had many happy memories of going to the Blackrock seaside on Sundays with her family where she and Moria would share a four pence bag of chips between them. She loved going to her Granny’s and Aunt Bridgie’s farm in the summer and going to the dances with her friends from the factory. That was back in the 1960’s so you can only imagine the hair do’s and short dresses! Teresa maintained these friendships over the years even while she was in Canada.

Teresa met my dad, Patrick Finnegan, in Blackrock. He was working in Canada and home for his sister Anna’s wedding. On August 15, 1968, Pat and his friend Hughie walked into the chip chop Teresa was working in with her Mom and Moria. He was a real smooth talked dressed in his cowboy shirt from the Calgary Stampede and wanted to know if she had a menu. Teresa cheekily said “You are looking at it. It’s on the board.” Pat asked “Do you have any boyfriends?” and she said, “I have lots!” He quickly replied “How about one more?” She couldn’t resist and said “Why not!” They made arrangements for her and Moria to meet him and Hughie at a dance later that week. As he left the chip shop Pat told Hughie “I wouldn’t be surprised if I married that girl”.

They met at the dance and the two men walked Teresa and Moria home, but I have been told that they didn’t get very far up the lane! Pat asked his sister if he could bring Teresa as his date to her wedding, which was only days away. Anna said no as she didn’t think he would be dating her next week. That was almost 44 years ago. They were engaged on Valentine’s Day, 1969 and married on August 6, 1970. They honeymooned around Ireland for three weeks and then Patrick went back to Tahsis, Canada to work and Teresa immigrated in November that year.

Even Pat will admit that he didn’t really do a good job describing Tahsis to Teresa before she arrived, so she didn’t really know what to expect. At that time you could only access Tahsis by boat and she arrived on the Uchuk ferry at night. Because it was dark the mill was all lit up and Teresa thought she was arriving in the big city of Tahsis! Her first night in Tahsis was a hot one! It was Pat and Teresa’s first night in the new trailer and neither of them knew how to work the stove. They were woken up early the next morning after their neighbor called the fire brigade because black smoke was pouring out of the chimney! The next day Pat said he would show Teresa downtown Tahsis. As she would in Ireland, Teresa got all dressed up in her boots, coat and matching purse for the trip to town. Needless to say, Teresa was surprised that Tahsis, never mind downtown, wasn’t much bigger than a postage stamp! Regardless, Teresa stayed and lived in Tahsis for the next 42 years.

When it came to having a family, Pat only wanted to have one child and I am very lucky to be their daughter. Pat, Teresa and Jennifer. We were the Tahsis Finnegan’s and without a doubt Teresa was our leader. We were a close family and our home was always filled with laughter. Teresa always wanted the best for us and worked hard to ensure that I had the opportunities she didn’t have. Along with Pat, she made sure that I never with without, but not spoiled. If I misbehaved, she let me know it. She signed me up for every activity available including swimming, bowling, ballet and piano. I remember the year that Santa brought me a keyboard for Christmas. I didn’t even know that I wanted to play the piano! And a few weeks later, both Teresa and I started piano lessons.

Teresa was a very hard worker for over 50 years. She started working at the early age of fourteen making shoe boxes in the Clarke shoe factory in Dundalk, Ireland where she worked for nine years before she left Ireland. She started working in the Tahsis Co-op as a cashier right away, even before she knew Canadian money! She was one of the most trustworthy employees in Tahsis also working in the Tahsis Corner Store, Spar Tree Restaurant, Tahsis Liquor Store and the Tahsis Supermarket over the years. She worked right up until last fall when she broke ankle. She was even thinking of returning to work this past January before she got sick.

Teresa had very talented hands. She made most of her clothes growing up and made only the latest dresses and pantsuits of the 1960’s and 1970’s. She even made her own wedding and bridesmaid dresses. She is known for her quilting and knitting and was always willing to help someone when their knitting pattern wasn’t working out. Many people have been blessed with her handiwork. She knitted numerous sweaters and hats for me and she knitted something special for new babies of family and friends. She knitted hats for the homeless and each Christmas she would send a big box of hats to the Union Gospel Mission in Vancouver.

Teresa also loved to garden and putter around the yard with her flowers. Teresa and Pat spent hours and hours in their yard planting flowers and would often come home to someone walking around the yard or taking pictures like it was Bouchard Garden’s! In the summer, their garden was filled with almost 600 impatiens, begonias, geraniums and dahlias. I know that whenever I see these flowers I will think of her.

Teresa was well known and liked by people in Tahsis. She had a good sense of humor and a great laugh which will be missed at the Wednesday night craft night and by the customers of the Tahsis Supermarket. She went to church every Sunday and sat in the back on the right hand side for as long as I can remember. There is a small congregation in Tahsis and I know they will miss her singing coming from the back of the church. But I think one of the biggest holes she will leave in Tahsis will be as Pat’s bike riding partner. Together they would ride their bikes around the valley and out to the reserve and back. Although Pat rides his bike rain or shine and Teresa was more of a fair weather rider it looked more complete when they were riding together.

To me, the most important part about Teresa was that she was my mom and my best friend. I remember her hanging balloons and pin the tail on the donkey each year for my birthday parties and she always ordered me a special birthday cake. I remember sitting in the car and playing eye spy with her while waiting for Dad to come out the sawmill from work. For many years she would do the grocery shopping on Wednesdays and bring home Woman’s World and Star magazines. When I would come home from school we would have a cup of General Mills International Coffee and read the magazines together. She would have Orange Cappuccino and I would have Belgium Hazelnut. When I moved away to college, she came down each September and helped me set-up my dorm room. And when I bought my condo she insisted on coming to Vancouver to help me pack and move into my new place. She was always proud of me no matter what and her love was unconditional and never stopped flowing.

We talked on the phone most days of the week. Even just to see what we thought of the latest episode of the Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars or Coronation St. I will cherish the time Mom, Dad and I were able to spend together while she was going through treatment in Vancouver. Mom and I had breakfast together every morning and we had dinner as a family each evening. And because she was in Vancouver, we were able to spend Mother’s Day together. We went to church in the morning and spent the afternoon at Granville Island. I will cherish that day forever.

I can’t say enough about how good Mom was to Dad and I and we will be forever grateful that she was our wife and mother. We will remember how hard she worked to make a good home for us. How she made the best scrambled eggs and smelled like talcum powder after her bath. We will miss her every day.

Teresa was brave during her short four month fight with brain cancer and rarely complained. She courageously had brain surgery and six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. Each day she walked with Pat to the treatment centre, which was over a kilometer from my place. For most of that time, she also waked back only accepting a ride home from the treatment centre in the last two weeks when she was very tired. Teresa was so strong and such a fighter and when we brought her back to the hospital in May, the doctors said she would probably only live for one to five days. She fought bravely for 10 days.

Sixty-five years of age is still too young to pass away, but I truly believe that Mom is an angel in heaven now. Her heaven has the rolling green hills of Ireland with the mountains of Canada in the background. She has a garden filled with flowers to putter in all day long. The sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze for her to hang her clothes out on the line to dry. She is looking down on us and will always be in our hearts.

Ar dheis de go raibh a h-anam

May she rest in peace

By Jennifer Finnegan, Teresa’s daughter

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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend. After a brief, but brave fight with cancer, at the age of 65, she passed away peacefully with her family by her side.

Teresa was born in Blackrock, Co. Louth, Ireland. She married Patrick, the love of her life, on August 6, 1970 and immigrated to Tahsis, Vancouver Island, Canada in November of that year. There they raised their daughter Jennifer among family and friends. She will be remembered for her fabulous flowers, love of knitting and quilting and riding her bike around town with Patrick.

Teresa was predeceased by her father Johnny (1967), her mother Mary “Molly” (2002), her sister-in-law Mary (2004), her brother-in-law Peador (2007) and nephew Seamus (2009). She is survived by her loving husband Patrick, daughter Jennifer, sister Moria (Hugh) and her children Barry and Emmet, and extended family. Teresa will be forever loved and missed by her family and friends and everyone in Tahsis.

A Prayer Service was held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 34 S. Alder, Campbell River, BC on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 7:00pm. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at 11:00am.