Finbar Michael Xavier McCann

1952 -18 November 2022

It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the passing of Finbar (Bart) Michael McCann on Friday November 18, 2022.

Bart leaves behind the love of his life and best friend of 42 years, Marina. Predeceased by his parents Rose & John McCann and his oldest brother Brian. Survived by his dear older brother Dermot and his sister Deidre both now of Victoria, BC

He is deeply missed by friends and extended family, especially his buddies Jackson and Silas Belluz, who were like grandchildren to Bart.

Life is the most precious gift, and through Bart's unselfish gift of his organs, other people in need will have a better and longer life.

Marina is thankful for the support of her wonderful neighbors living around Eric Court.

Marina also extends her gratitude to the First Responders, the staff at the Guelph General Hospital, and St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener, and especially to Father Vernon Boyd, the Society of Jesus, and Kat Woodrow for their help and support.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Holy Rosary Parish (holyrosaryguelph.ca) 175 Emma Street, Guelph, ON N1E 1V6 or the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada (heartandstroke.ca).

In keeping with Bart's wishes, there is no Funeral. There will be a very small private memorial ceremony but just for family and a few special friends.

For those who knew him, you will recognize these most notable moments and traits describing Bart McCann:

• For having a great sense of humour – one for which he should have been paid handsomely, for every human encounter was an entertaining show

• Building his log cottage on Lake Rosseau (for a decade) and then renovating his house on Barber Ave, then another on Grange St, then lastly on Eric Court

• Having the best hair and handlebar mustache until most of it fell out

• Never letting a heart attack 25 years ago, slow him down one iota

• Maintaining a Toyota 4-Runner for 25 years

• Inventing crazy but tasty new foods with crazy names to suit

• Being as strong as an ox and often more stubborn

• Being willing to share his opinions on anything including sex, sports, religion, and politics

• Working faster and harder (and sweating more) than a whole team of rugby players

• Having a gift for teaching children and physically whipping them into shape – without them ever having any idea they were in Bart’s Boot Camp

• For his honesty, he rarely sugar coated anything for anyone, because it came from his heart

• For occasionally having a foul mouth – you always knew if he liked you … or not

• For being able to talk to people of all ages, cultures, education level and backgrounds, and make them feel important, unless they insulted his favourite sports team or one of his many dogs

• Loving his dogs with all his heart – and they loved him back

• For being a natural dog trainer and occasionally for having dogs – like children – who chose to adopt Bart, whether he liked it or not

• For ensuring that Guinness, Harp, Laker and Bushmills never went out of business

• For swimming 100m through an icy lake to save a stranded drowning dog and almost dying himself

• Being able to fix anything in a new and crazy way – a true MacGyver

• For helping friends, family and even enemies when they needed it most – because above all, he cared about all people, most of all the underdogs and the vulnerable

• For having a fantastic memory or lying so well you couldn’t tell the difference

• For knowing how to deliver a good show of fireworks in Canadian Irish style

• For several near-miss encounters with his Maker – which made him (and his accomplices) cherish each day even more – for every day was a gift to use fully – no half measures in Bart’s world

• For opinions – really strong opinions, about anything because he spoke with his heart

• Telling engaging stories that you swear were taken from a Hollywood movie – but no, that was the true “life of Bart”

• For knowing the most eclectic facts about all the music he loved

• Building extremely strong friendships with people of all ages from 5 to 95 – and even with those he only saw once every five years, with not a letter or word in between

• For getting up early in the morning, really early, every single day of his life to: walk the dogs, cook breakfast, paint the Bunkie, chop wood, clean the cottage, shovel the walk, and read the National Geographic cover to cover – then go to work

• For being what many would say is the hardest worker known to man – for every physical task was a triathlon to win for Bart

• For loving it when people dropped in unannounced – everyone was welcome at Bart and Marina’s house

• For loving mother nature – the great outdoors was his place of peace, respect, and harmony

• And few knew, but Bart was also a quiet and spiritual person too

• For his gregarious personality and a voice that should have been in movies or on the stand-up comedy stage

• For using his fabulous sense of humour to cheer people up – sometimes cutting but always full of heart and feeling

• For loving children – and they sure loved him back because for kids, he was like an infection that they couldn't cure. They were attracted to his humour like moths to the light

• For giving deep hugs with meaning – he gave the best most sincere full-on bear hugs

• For dropping everything to go help a friend and asking nothing in return except perhaps a cold beer or two

• For leaving so many strong, fun, impactful memories in the minds and hearts of so many friends – all over the world. Every encounter with Bart was an adventure to write about

• For being devoted beyond all reasonable expectations to his loving partner Marina, whom he cherished with every fibre of his being

Truly a life well lived and a life that improved so many others!