Reverend Brian P. Higgins: 1926-2016

SooToday has received notice of the passing of Father Brian Higgins, for whom the sports field at St. Mary's College is named

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Father Brian Higgins at the unveiling of the scoreboard on the sports field that is named to honour him at St. Mary's College. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday

Just over a year ago, Father Brian Higgins was in the Sault to see his name on the scoreboard at St. Mary's College.

As reported earlier by SooToday, Higgins taught and coached at the school for more than ten years beginning in 1962 and returned there for a few more years as principal in 1975.

He's credited with coining the phrase 'St. Mary's man' and with employing his Basilian principles of goodness, discipline and knowledge both in the classroom and on the football field.

The full text of his obituary follows.

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At St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Friday, November 4, 2016 after a fall six days earlier at Anglin house, a residence of the Basilian Fathers.

He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Hubert Patrick and survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and many friends.

Father Brian was born on March 15, 1926 and was professed in the Basilian Fathers in 1947. He taught at St. Michael's College School, Toronto for one year in 1951. After ordination in Toronto in 1954, he was sent to teach another of several times at St. Michael's.

In 1962 he taught and coached the senior football team at St. Mary's College (a high school) in Sault Ste. Marie, ON for 12 years. He was then Principal at Basilian high schools in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Windsor and taught in Toronto at Michael Power High School and again at St. Michael's.

Shortly after a new St. Mary's College was built, the football field was named "Fr. Brian Higgins Field" on October 30, 2015. This is an indication that Fr. Brian was always a larger-than-life character and will ever be remembered especially at St. Mary's College and St. Michael's College School.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 6:30 p.m. with a wake service at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel of the Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre, 95 St. Joseph St., Toronto. Visitation will also be held Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 9 a.m. until a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in the same Chapel. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Thornhill ON. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Basilian Fathers Retirement Fund, 95 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3C2. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=brian-p-higgins&pid=182375168&#sthash.qUkuf61s.dpuf

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