A community changed by tragedy and empowered by social conscience. Memories of 1960s Wales. A beloved aunt’s generosity. These inspire local couple, Lynne and John, to name the Victoria Hospitals Foundation in their wills.
A Welsh Childhood
Lynne Thomas, 71, grew up in a small farming community in the South Wales coal mining valleys near Merthyr Tydfil. She recalls the bright, rich green hills and the tenor-bass voices of the men’s choirs.
In October 1966, disaster struck the nearby village of Aberfan. Above the village, a pile of coal waste on a mountain slope collapsed. It engulfed the local school and 19 other buildings, killing 116 children and 28 adults. “When you see miners crying and pawing at the slurry and debris, getting nowhere, it’s harrowing,” says Lynne.
Lynne’s two aunts, May and Olga Davis, enrolled in a London training hospital for nurses. Upon graduation, they returned to south Wales to work at Merthyr Tydfil Hospital. “It was a hard struggle in Wales: there was poverty and lack of opportunity,” says Lynne. “But my Aunts didn’t give a thought to staying in London. Their first priority was to get home and help the people of the valleys.”
When Aunt May died, she left £1 million to their alma mater, the training hospital for nurses. “Aunt May always wanted to help and I knew her thinking: let’s help the nurses with their training and expenses.”
A New Start in Canada
At 25, Lynne left Wales for Merritt, British Columbia, at the invitation of her aunt and uncle. Later, she moved to Vancouver where she would eventually become the Registrar for the Vancouver Museum.
In 1982, she met the man who would become her husband, John Henderson. They met in a Vancouver amateur theatre group where John was one of the actors and Lynne worked on the lighting for the plays. John worked as a meteorologist and then later began his own company with a colleague from McGill University.
John retired in the 1990s. Or so he thought. An old friend, a doctor at St. Paul’s Hospital, invited him to apply for a job at the BC Renal Agency. He said no three times before saying yes and then worked for nine years in the St. Paul’s Hospital Provincial Renal Program.
Planning for the Future
After John retired again in 2005, Lynne and John left Vancouver for Victoria.
Recently, in 2017, Lynne had hip replacement surgery at Royal Jubilee Hospital. “I’d never been in hospital before,” she admitted. “My surgeon Dr. Stephen Burnett was terrific. He’s the bee’s knees.” Soon she was back to swimming 60 laps a day. “The care I received was extraordinary. I am so thankful.”
Lynne remembers when she and John first talked about their legacy.
“We didn’t have a will,” recalls Lynne. So they discussed the future of their estates, their core values and what has inspired them in their lives. “We knew we wanted to support charities in healthcare and also wanted to support the arts.”
“I said—why don’t we give to our local hospitals through the Victoria Hospitals Foundation?” Lynne says, recalling the decision. “It’s an effective way to make a difference in people’s lives—when they’re at their most vulnerable.”
For Lynne, it all comes back to the green hills of her childhood. To a generosity that binds a tight-knit village. Her motivation to give is about family and place. It’s also a legacy that will help everyone on Vancouver Island, no matter their circumstances.
“I owe my deep sense of social conscience from the Welsh valleys and my Aunt May,” says Lynne. “Not everyone is wealthy and not everyone has the opportunities we have. Aunt May was my role model and inspired me to give back to my community through our local hospitals.”
Your Role in the Future
Inspired by Lynne’s story and interested in making a gift to our local hospitals in your estate? Donating to our hospitals in your will, including a gift of annuities or real estate, is one of the greatest acts of generosity you can make. No great wealth is required to give, just the willingness to plan.
If you want more information, you or your financial adviser can talk to our Manager of Leadership & Legacy Giving Beth Cairns by email vhf@viha.ca or by phone at 250-519-1750. Or, visit our website to learn more: victoriahf.ca/will-and-estates
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