FINLAYSON, Eileen Audrey (nee CAMPBELL) Eileen Audrey Finlayson, 91, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister and friend passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 24, 2019, at her home at Briton House, in Toronto.
Eileen was born on January 11, 1928 to Lorne and Audrey (Willson) Campbell. She grew up in “The Beach” area of Toronto and graduated from teacher’s college in 1949. In 1951, she married Donald Finlayson, a medical student at the University of Toronto. They had six children, Shiona Finlayson (Bryan Wilson), Stephen (Carol) Finlayson, Roderick (Anne) Finlayson, Catherine Finlayson, Anna (John) Dancu and Douglas (Robin) Finlayson.
Eileen was the center of a family whose six children were followed with seventeen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren Eileen was known for her wit, grace and hospitality. Flouting convention and “the rules” she was an independent woman who loved to shake things up. She put people at ease in a home filled with keen conversation and the laughter of friends and family; there was always room for one more at her table. Though busy with her children, she found time for volunteer work in both Toronto and Atlanta. Eileen loved art and many of the paintings adorning the walls of the family homes trace their origins back to her collection. An intrepid traveler, she toured throughout Europe, the Philippines, China, as well as the Amazon to see Halley’s Comet.
Eileen enjoyed bird watching and would gladly travel to see exotic birds; all those close to her have a copy of R.T. Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds. An avid tennis player, she was a member of the Toronto Cricket Club and the Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta. She cherished her time with the Emory Women’s Club and her Woman’s Investment Club. For several years she worked at “Evenings at Emory”, where she made good friends with whom she periodically traveled.
The Finlayson family would like to express our gratitude to the caregivers who took such loving care of Eileen in her last years at Briton House.
Following cremation, a memorial service will be held in Toronto at a later date.