Lester Blois Hennigar

July 22, 1941 – October 10, 2025

L. Blois Hennigar died peacefully in the early hours of Friday, October 10, in Halifax. His body gave his family just enough warning to jump on planes and gather to say goodbye, but didn’t hold on so long that they had to wait in worry. As he did in life, it feels like he was thinking of others even at the time of his death.

Kind, curious, and generous, Blois was the ultimate gentleman. He was always full of smiles and friendly to all, but he was no pushover. His boundaries were clear and fair, and you knew when you were approaching them.

Blois never met a challenge he didn’t tackle head-on. He never complained. He was a man of action who did what needed to be done without dwelling on what was or what could have been. This practical, take-charge approach led to a life full of rich experiences, friendships across the country and beyond, and spectacular loves.

In 1964, this country Bluenoser from Upper Kennetcook met Beverley (Osborn) Hennigar, a sophisticated urbanite in Montreal. They married in 1966 and shared an unbreakable partnership for the next 55 years. In Bev’s later years, Blois was wholly dedicated to caring for her and building a life suited to her changing needs. Their love was truly special, and when Bev died in 2021, Blois struggled to move forward without her.

He never expected to find romantic love again, but it is often when you’re not looking that love finds you. During halftime of the 2024 Super Bowl, Blois struck up a conversation with Elise Doane, a new resident at Parkland at the Gardens retirement home, and they never stopped talking. Elise brought the spark back into Blois’s life, one that stayed with him until the end.

Blois had a few other loves in his life. Mount Allison University, golf, and work. Mount A was transformative for Blois. He was a great ambassador and managed to recruit many to this special school in Sackville, New Brunswick, including his three kids, and four of his grandkids. Blois had no problem getting to the golf club for the first tee time of the day, and he was known to recover from his early rounds by snoozing in front of the PGA on TV on weekend afternoons. Blois’s career as a Chartered Accountant fulfilled his intellectual, leadership, and travel needs. His career led him to Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Oakville, and Amherst, Nova Scotia. It also enabled him to travel the world. At 76, when he was finally ready to retire, he moved to Halifax.

Blois was a loving and supportive father to Craig (Susan) Hennigar, Susan (Craig) DuHamel, and Dale (Andrew) Noseworthy. You know you’ve done something right when all three children literally can’t imagine having a better dad. He was a proud grandfather to Allie, Bridget, Jillian, Russell, Lauren, Brooke, Brittany (Bryndon), and Spencer (Abby), loving them unconditionally and supporting their journeys as they discovered who they were and what they loved. He embraced his newer role as great-grandfather to Owen and Austen.

His siblings, Lawrence (Alice) Hennigar and Eileen (Percy) Bond, are grateful that Blois returned to Nova Scotia in 2000. They were always close, and their relationships grew even stronger with the gift of time together over the past 25 years.

Blois impacted too many lives to count, and he is not done. Whenever you’re facing a challenge, ask yourself, “What would Blois do?” Chances are, he would take thoughtful, productive action, do it without complaining, and consider its impact on others. A fine way to live, and a fine life lived.

A funeral will take place at 10:30 a.m. AST on Wednesday, October 15 at St. Andrews United Church, 6036 Coburg Road, Halifax. A visitation is planned for Tuesday, October 14 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Cruikshank’s Halifax Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor Street.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Blois Hennigar Memorial Fund at Mount Allison University.