Memorable Manitobans: Gordon Richard Fines (1911-1990)

Gordon Richard Fines Click to enlarge

Educator, MLA (1950-1953).

Born at Darlingford on 3 November 1911, son of Richard Fines and Mabel Adella Willcott (1882-1931) who settled in Manitoba in 1876, he was educated at the Baldur High School. He taught elementary school in Manitoba and Saskatchewan for eight years, including at Hoey East School (1939-1940), Hoey West School (1940), Peguis School (1940-1941), J. B. Mitchell School (1960-1962), and Lord Nelson School (1963-1969). He also worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

He served on the Winnipeg School Board (1947) and the Winnipeg City Council (1954-1960, 1967-1971), during which he was Deputy Mayor. He was also Chairman of Winnipeg Parks and Recreation, a member of the board for Manitoba Telephone System, and a member of the Highway and Traffic Board, Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation, and the Municipal Hospital Board. He was Local Chairman of Lodge 49 for the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, and a member of the Broadway Optimist Community Club. He was elected to the Manitoba Legislature at the 1949 general election, representing the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, and served a single term. A candidate in the 1953 and 1958 federal general elections, and the 1953, 1958, 1959, and 1962 provincial general elections, he was defeated each time.

On 25 July 1942, he married Santa Maria La Monica (1911-1957), daughter of Anthony La Monica, of Winnipeg. He later remarried, to Marion Cove Morden (1920-2015, widow of Charles Clemo Morden), and they had a son along with three daughters from his wife’s previous marriage. He lived at 622 Ashburn Street and, later, at 604 Strathcona Street. In recognition of his community service, he received a City of Winnipeg Community Service Award (1976).

He died at Winnipeg on 29 July 1990.

Sources:

The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1951.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 July 1990, page 35.

Obituary [Marion Cove Morden Fines], Winnipeg Free Press, 5 September 2015.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Lynn Lewis and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 September 2024

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!