It is with the most profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved Bobby on Friday May 30, 2025 in Mississauga, Ontario. Predeceased by his loving parents, Laurence Luke and Mary Catherine (Mae), he is survived by his loving spouse, Kelly, and stepdaughter, Caroline, along with his sisters and brother, Bernadette (Tom), Bernie (Debbie), Elizabeth (Alan), Kathleen (Lloyd), his 14 nieces and nephews, Mary, Diane, Jean; Lauren, Brennan, Robert; Tara, Laura; Daina, Gary, Luke, Kathleen, Bobbi and Lloyd; and his 10 grand nieces and nephews.

Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island, and growing up in the Town of Dominion, the oldest of five siblings, Bobby attended St. Eugene’s elementary school and MacDonald high school. Growing up he loved spending time with his family, whether at home, at the beach or at his great grandparents’ farm in Beechmont on weekends. He served as an altar boy, helped in his grandparents’ (Steele) general store and worked with his father in landscaping as well as assisting him with deliveries for Phalen’s bakery and other local wholesalers. An avid swimmer, skater, hockey player, scuba diver, skier, fisherman and hunter, he was a true Cape Bretoner who loved the outdoors and the peace he found in nature.

His university education began at Xavier College in Sydney, followed by St. Francis Xavier University (St FX) in Antigonish, where he was awarded numerous scholarships at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Bobby graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education and Graduate Certificate in Guidance & Counselling. In more recent years, Bobby obtained a Master of Education (Administration) from St. FX, and on a full scholarship, he completed a Ph.D (ABD) Theory & Policy, Educational Administration at Ontario Institute For Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

Beyond academia, Bobby also attained professional designations including a CCD from the London Business School in England, a CUDE designation from the National CU Foundation in the US, and an ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management & Institute of Corporate Directors at the University of Toronto.

Bobby’s career began as a Mathematics teacher at Nova Scotia Community College, Sydney campus, and quickly led to Head of Department and Guidance Counsellor and culminated in the position of Principal & Chief Education Officer for 13 of his 27-year career at the college. He was a passionate educator, developing first-in-province trades training programs and mentoring more than 3,000 graduates in 21 trades. Over the following 30 years, he would often run into a former student, whether in Nova Scotia or Ontario, who recognized him and stopped to thank him for his leadership and caring approach as an educator. Bobby had given many a chance they may not have otherwise had, and always worked to ensure no student was left behind. After leaving the community college, Bobby served as Policy Advisor to the Minister of Education and as Supervisor of the Apprenticeship division for several years.

While in his educator role, Bobby added public service to his ongoing commitments, following in his father’s footsteps, running for Town Council. Bobby was elected as Mayor of the Town of Dominion, a part-time role in which he served for 9 years. During his three elected terms, he built a new high school, recreation complex, heritage centre, Miners’ Memorial Park, and senior citizens’ housing complex and crafted a long-term development plan for the Town. At the same time, he also served as Chairman of the Cape Breton School Board and various other public sector organizations. Bobby also volunteered for many years on the Board of Directors of Glace Bay Community Hospital, Cape Breton Hospital, Seaview Manor, Braemore Home and Seton Foundation. He was also passionate about politics beyond the municipal level, getting involved in Conservative Party politics at both the provincial and federal levels, running multiple political campaigns and supporting the party throughout his life.

Bobby’s career in education and public service was augmented by his entrepreneurial pursuits. He worked in his parents’ general store & outfitters business that operated for almost 50 years in Dominion and also owned various rental apartment units in town. In Cheticamp, along the beautiful Cabot Trail, on Cheticamp Island Beach, nestled into the Cape Breton Highlands, he built 5 rental cottages which he operated for 30 years and for several of those years, also operated the Cheticamp fish market/restaurant that was once reported on in the New York Times.

Outside of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Bobby is perhaps best known due to his other life long passion, that of the credit union system, a commitment he made for 50 years after initial encouragement by his father to get involved. Through his volunteer work as a Board Director and later, his consulting work, he became known across Canada and globally, highly respected for his commitment to cooperative principles of “people helping people” and his drive to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in credit union systems around the world. Beginning in his local credit union in Dominion, he served at the local, provincial and national levels in Canada. He served in Nova Scotia as Director and then Chairman at Dominion Credit Union, Credit Union Central of Nova Scotia, League Savings & Mortgage, and League Data. He also served on the Board of the Nova Scotia Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation and founded and chaired the Nova Scotia Credit Unions Charitable

Foundation. In Ontario, he served as Director and the Chairman of Credit Union Central of Canada, Canadian Co-operative Leasing Services, Canadian Co-operative Agricultural Financial Services, the Canadian Co operative Association International Program committee and CU Source. He served in Saskatchewan as Director and then Chairman of Co-operative Trust Company of Canada, and Concentra Financial for more than 25 years.

Internationally, he served as Director and then Chairman of the World Council of Credit Unions and the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions in the USA. Through this organization, he worked with the credit union and credit cooperative systems in Romania, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, Belarus, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Ukraine, Latvia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, USA; also holding consultative meetings in Iran and Russia.

Bobby was recognized internationally for his work, receiving the ACDE Award and the AACCU Special Recognition Award from the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions; Feniks Award from the Foundation for Polish Credit Unions; Honorary Ambassador of the Federation of Romanian Credit Unions; World Council of Credit Unions’ Distinguished Service Award; and the Global Co-operator Award from the Canadian Co-operative Association and Co-operative Development Foundation.

Based on his international credit union work, Bobby was chosen as the sole representative of the global credit union system on the United Nations Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors, working with international leaders in the financial services and microfinance sectors to enhance accessibility to financial services to the poor and small enterprises across the UN member states over a 3-year period. Bobby’s last commitment to the global credit union system came with his appointment by the Minister of Finance, Republic of Ireland, to Chairman of the Credit Union Restructuring Board which he led successfully for 5 years in the restructuring of the Irish credit union movement. This role was of personal significance to Bobby due to his deep personal affection for Ireland and its people which he held his entire life.

On a personal level, over the last 15 years, Bobby rekindled another of his passions, that of hunting. For several years he took the retired Fr. Bill Rankin to various locations in Canada, USA and Scotland for a variety of hunts. After Fr Bill’s passing, Bobby spent the last 10 years sharing his passion for hunting with Kelly, who became his hunting partner, and together they travelled to British Columbia, Manitoba, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Namibia and multiple trips to South Africa. Caroline also shared in a couple of these adventures. His prize trophies included a lion, leopard, cape buffalo, crocodile, kudu, lynx, sable, bison, wolf, red stag, black bears, zebras, hartebeest, springbok, elk, deer, warthog, waterbuck, impala, blesbuck, wildebeest, tahr, moose.

Beyond all his lengthy and varied accomplishments, however, what was most important to Bobby, was his time with family. In his late 20s, after his father passed away, Bobby took on a father type role in support of his beloved mother whom he adored, and his younger sisters and brother. He took his familial duty and responsibility very seriously and continued to do so till the end, including his maintenance of the family homestead. Over the last few decades, it was the time together with his life partner, Kelly and his stepdaughter Caroline that he treasured. Bobby & Kelly had a unique and very special relationship, a loving partnership in which they worked together and supported each other on both a personal and professional level. They worked collaboratively on Canadian and international work assignments, managed the cottage rental business, did renovations/repairs, planted gardens, raised Caroline, took care of Kelly’s parents through illnesses, loved their tabby cat Cleo and later, their calico cat Macushla, enjoyed cooking live lobsters, watched his favourite New York Yankees, Boston Celtics, and Green Bay Packers, travelled the world, and hunted in the wilds of Africa and beyond. Throughout it all, they were truly each other’s rock, caring for each other until the end. Bobby will be surely missed by the many, many people he touched around the world. His loss will be felt deeply by his sisters and brother and his extended family, and most intimately by Kelly and Caroline. May he rest in eternal peace and may his memory be a blessing.

A Catholic funeral mass will be held at St. Mary Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church, 11 Peter St. S., Mississauga,
Ontario, on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 11am. Interment St. Mary's Cemetery, Port Credit. In memory of Bobby, donations may be made to a charity of your
choice.