Fayne Bullen Celebration Of Life
By John Swartz
When speaking with Fayne Bullen, one had to parse the words coming at you through the huge smile he wore. That was backed up by gleaming, sparkling eyes. He always left the impression he was grateful to speak with you.
Even as an Orillia councillor (1990 – 1999), when he spoke it was the same way, and you knew even if you were observing from behind him that he was smiling as he spoke – and he did so even in speaking in opposition to whatever the matter at hand was.
Fayne grew up in Snell Hall, St. Patrick’s, Grenada and came to Canada in 1955. He earned an Honours BA (History) from Mount Allison University, a masters degree in history Queen’s University, and then took foreign service training at the London School of Economics. He served in Mexico and Trinidad before returning to Canada in 1962 and obtained a First-Class Teaching Certificate from the University of Toronto, which he then used here in Orillia as a history teacher at Park Street Collegiate starting in 1965.
While at Park Street he was teacher/advisor for the Outward Bound club. Students built canoes and Fayne lead excursions to Algonquin Park where they tested them out.
He was the professional development chair for the Simcoe County Board of Education and taught summer courses at the U of T.
Fayne was also an NDP candidate for provincial and federal office several times. Among his community endeavours he was the chair of the Orillia Historical Society and a member of the committee that wrote the operating guidelines for the Orillia Museum of Art & History.
He founded the community legal services clinic in 1981, which became the Community Legal Clinic for Simcoe, Haliburton, and Kawartha Lakes and was involved for 42 years with that organization.. He was also part of the group that founded Paso Por Paso charity and the Sharing Place Food Bank. Other community groups he was part of when they started are the Couchiching Jubilee House and the St. James Court non-profit housing in the former YMCA on Peter Street.
In May Fayne was made a member of the Order of Orillia for his volunteer service to the community.
Fayne, was born February 11, 1929 and died August 14, 2024. A Celebration of Life will happen at Hawk Ridge Golf Course on Sunday, September 22nd from 1 to 4 p.m. with special words of remembrance between 3 and 4 p.m.