WAYNE FRANCIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The “Wayne Francis Memorial Scholarship” honours the life of Wayne Francis. Born and raised in Burin, Newfoundland and Labrador, Wayne excelled as a student and as a multisport athlete. He won many championships and awards, including Provincial High School Male Athlete of the Year for Newfoundland and Labrador and MVP of the Atlantic Canadian Soccer Championship. In 2024, Wayne was inducted into the Burin Peninsula Soccer Hall of Fame. Most importantly to Wayne, he made life-long friends and memories as a Berney Breaker, Burin Eagle, Marystown Mariner, and captain of the Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Games Soccer Team.
After graduating from Father Berney Memorial High School, Wayne attended St. Francis Xavier University as an Oland Scholar. There he was team captain of the varsity soccer X-Men and recognized nationally as a Canadian all-star. Wayne earned distinction as an Academic All-Canadian for his performance on the field and in the classroom. Wayne pursued law school as a Lord Beaverbrook Scholar at the University of New Brunswick. He finished his varsity soccer career as an Atlantic Canadian all-star at UNB.
Wayne was a partner at Ritch, Williams & Richards in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he specialized in insurance litigation. He died in December 2024 at the age of 47, nearly a year after a cancer diagnosis. Wayne’s wish was to establish a scholarship fund to support students with strong ties to the Burin Peninsula pursuing academics and athletics at the post-secondary level. The Wayne Francis Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually beginning in 2025.
Donating to This Fund
The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) is a registered charity (BN: 853376531RR0001). You can donate and receive a Canadian Tax Receipt using the form below, by sending a cheque to CFNL’s Office, or by e-transfering to info@cfnl.ca. Click here for a comprehensive list of types of donations CFNL can accept.
For US Donors – CFNL can accept and provide tax receipts for US Donors through its membership in the Community Foundations of Canada. Contact us at info@cfnl.ca or (709)753-9899 to learn more. The below form is only for Canadian Tax Receipts.