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Timothy Findley: 1930-2002
© Paula E. Kirman
Jun 27, 2002
Timothy Findley, author, playwrite, and one of Canada's most acclaimed literary figures, died in his sleep on Thursday, June 20. He was 71.
Findley had been in failing health for some time. He was a heavy smoker and drinker with congestive heart problems, and also broke his pelvis a while back.
Some of Findley's best-known novels included The Piano Man's Daughter and Not Wanted on the Voyage. He was as acclaimed for his plays as for his fiction, and was a staple figure on the Stratford Festival scene.
His accolades were many, and included being an officer of the Order of Canada, as well as receiving the Governor General's Award for the novel The Wars (1977) and the play Elizabeth Rex (2000).
In addition to his writing, Findley was an accomplished ballet dancer and actor. He got his start on stage in the 1950's, appearing alongside Alec Guinness at the Stratford Festival. It was Guinness who sponsored Findley to attend acting school in Britain.
The Stratford Festival became central to Findley's career, as he wrote numerous plays performed there and made his Canadian home in Stratford, Ontario. He lived in Provence, France at other times during the year, and wrote prolifically in each place.
Findley's most recent work was the novel Spadework from 2001. When I interviewed him in late 2001, he was enthusiastic about his future as a writer. Here is what he said when I asked him about his current projects:
"My future as a writer will be the same as my past - as long as I am physically and mentally capable of working. I have one more novel under contract, and two more plays. I am currently working on one of the latter - a one-act play, Shadows, for the 2002 season of the Stratford Festival. I must admit, however, that since I am now in my seventies, I would like to be just a bit less productive. Bill Whitehead and I have two homes - the condo in Stratford and a small writing retreat in Provence - and we love each of them dearly. The trouble is, we don't get enough time simply to enjoy them to the full - and we rarely have time to take a holiday. This, I hope, will change."
In fact, Findley was in France at the time of his death. Findley is survived by his partner of more than 40 years, Bill Whitehead.
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The copyright of the article Timothy Findley: 1930-2002 in Canadian Literature is owned by Paula E. Kirman. Permission to republish Timothy Findley: 1930-2002 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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