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Ontario woman’s obituary asks readers to ‘drive Stephen Harper from office’

Catherine Finn (Photo credit: turnerporter.permavita.com)

Catherine Finn was remembered for her “sharp wit” and “steely backbone,” as well as her bold opinions. It only makes sense that her obituary wouldn’t be any different.

The 72-year-old’s obituary appeared in newspapers last week and is going viral ever since for its brutal honesty.

The Peterborough, Ont., native passed away quietly in her sleep in Toronto on July 19. Her obit notes that she was a wife, mother and grandmother who loved life and was a “fearless defender of the world of ideas.”

Her three sons took on the challenge to write her obit, which included a few “zingers,” reported the Toronto Star.

“Mom wanted an interesting obit and we tried to honour that,” her son, Patrick Finn, told BuzzFeed. “We were trying to channel her voice and not impose our own.”

Finn had strong opinions about Canadian politics and culture. One of her ideas related to Canada’s current Prime Minister.

Instead of donations, “Catherine would want you to do everything you can to drive Stephen Harper from office, right out of the country, and into the deep blue see if possible,” it said in her obit.

“I never had a phone call where she didn’t rail about Stephen Harper,” her son told the Toronto Star. “That boldness of the statement was her.”

The obituary goes on to note that Finn also loved reading and writing. She liked to talk about the lack of attention her favourite author, Margaret Laurence, received compared to Margaret Atwood.

“She always talked about the Atwood/Laurence thing – though to be clear, she still liked Atwood and had read all her books,” her son told BuzzFeed.

In obit, Finn’s issue about the two authors was addressed: “A connoisseur of words, she would want you to know that she always believed Margaret Atwood was vastly overrated and Margaret Laurence equally underrated.”

And lastly there’s CBC, which according to the obituary, she would like fixed.

“She was a big believer in an informed public and saw the CBC’s degraded conditions as a problem.” her son told BuzzFeed.

“We miss her so much,” the obit reads. “You were one of the good ones mom.”