Clifford Alan Fanning
1949 - 2014
Clifford Alan  Fanning
Service Information
Service Date
Saturday May 3, 2014
Service Time
2 P.M.
Service Location
Indian Harbour Pentecostal Church
Requested Charity
Cliff's wishes were for us to donate time or funds to help others
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FANNING, Clifford Alan of Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia entered the presence of God on April 19, 2014 at 7am. Born in Wolfville, Kings County on January 29, 1949 he was the son of the late Alan Joseph Fanning of Hazel Hill, Guysborough Country and Luella Gladys (Beaver) Fanning of West Quoddy, Halifax County. Cliff is survived by his loving wife and closest friend Rhonda, sons Christian (Edmonton, AB) and Sean (Ottawa, ON), sisters Mrs. Bonnie (Barry) Matthews (Beaverbank, NS) and Mrs. Wanda (Eric) Mulholland (Burnaby, BC), stepsons Christopher (Rachel) Graham and Brandon Graham, grandson Cohen Graham. He is predeceased by his parents and daughter Nichelle. Educated at Dartmouth High School and NASCAD Cliff’s early years were as he described them "a journey from darkness into light" years driven by pride and self-interest, and marked with rebellion, countless jobs, the death of a child, a failed marriage, alcohol and drug abuse, and homelessness crowned by several months of incarceration. But Jesus Christ set him free and those things intended for evil were turned to good. He embraced these worldly experiences and they forged his personality, his character, his desire for perfection, and his deep compassion and love for others. In the years that followed, Cliff returned to his Christian roots and as his faith matured and his relationship with God deepened, his physical life flourished. In 1978 he started working offshore Newfoundland and advanced in the oil industry to become part of multi-national project management and loss prevention teams on oil and gas exploration, geothermal drilling and marine geophysical projects around the world.  He travelled extensively for over thirty-seven years and set a high standard of performance for others to follow on every project he was involved in. Through his tireless efforts and professionalism Cliff gained the respect of management and of the national and expatriate personnel with whom he worked. Committed to zero loss on each project he brought a very hands-on and human touch to project management, and his genuine interest in the success of each project was complimented by his visible approach to continually improving the working conditions of others. He returned to Nova Scotia for two years in 2002 to work as Safety Manager for Lafarge Canada but returned overseas to work as a Safety Management Consultant for ExxonMobil’s seismic and exploration drilling operations in West Africa. He retired from an extremely active career due to poor health. During the downturn in the Atlantic fishery in 1990 he took a five year sabbatical from the oil and gas industry where his concern for others led Cliff to the position of Executive Director of the Eastern Fishermen’s Federation, a non-profit organization that represented commercial inshore fishermen throughout the Maritimes. He also represented these license-holders on the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters, a group developed for the professionalization of the industry. During this time he also worked as a co-ordinator for the Coastal Communities Network, a group dedicated to the sustainability of Maritime coastal communities affected by the cod moratorium and downturn of the commercial fishery. On behalf of Cliff, his family would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Michael Johnston, his surgical staff and the nurses at the QE11 in Halifax, Dr. Wojciech Morzycki and the Oncology Departments at the QE11, the Aberdeen Regional Hospital in New Glasgow and St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish; the Radiation Department at the Dixon Centre in Halifax, Canadian Cancer Society, Lodge That Gives, Dr. Michael Ackermann and Dr.Ian Cameron, their staff, the nurses and staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, the palliative and home care teams based in Sherbrooke, and our wonderful family, loved ones and the incredible community of supporting friends God has blessed us with so abundantly. Cliff was a very private, unpretentious yet dedicated man who loved the Lord, His church regardless of the denomination, his family and friends, and he genuinely cared about those with whom he worked."To those with whom I have had the absolute pleasure of sharing this journey, I thank you. Please accept the amazing gift of Christ’s pardon so we can be transformed from spiritual death to eternal life, and we can all meet again. May our precious Lord bless you and keep you until then."  In keeping with he has asked that in lieu of flowers or cards that each of us please make a conscious effort to donate a few hours of your precious time or a few dollars to better the life of someone who you know is lonely, ill or in need. "Everyone we meet every single day has troubles and problems of their own. A few caring minutes of our time or a few well spent dollars could make a genuine and positive difference in that person’s life." A celebration of Cliff’s life will be held at Indian Harbour Pentecostal Church in Indian Harbour Lake, Guysborough County @ 2pm on Saturday, May 3, 2014. There will be a reception to follow at the Exhibit Centre located in the Historic Sherbrooke Village immediately following the service. A private family committal will take place at a later date.Funeral arrangements are under the dignified and compassionate care of the G.W. Giffin Funeral Home, 17545 Highway 316, Country Harbour. On-line condolences may be made at www.gwgiffin.com

Clifford Alan  Fanning