ISABEL G. AULD

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ISABEL G. AULD C.M., B.A., M.A., LL.D. Chancellor Emerita, University of Manitoba Died suddenly and unexpectedly, in Winnipeg, surrounded by the love of her family, on Easter evening Sunday, March 27, 2016. A gracious, unpretentious woman and path-breaking role model, Isabel enjoyed a full life and made many contributions through her lifelong voluntary community service in higher education, health care, medical research, and social justice. Isabel was predeceased in September 2015 by Murray, her loving and beloved husband of nearly 73 years, and will be deeply missed by their children Cathy (Ted McLachlan) and Hedley (Megan McLeod) of Winnipeg, Nancy (Jack) Birt of Calgary, and in-laws Frank and Peggy Auld and family of Toronto. She took great pride in their eight grandchildren, Sean and Cameron McLachlan, Gordon, Abigail and Fraser Auld, Duncan (Nicole), Graham (Nicole) and Murray (Sally) Birt. Isabel was born in Winnipeg to Maggie and Charles G. Hutcheson, who had recently immigrated from Elgin, Scotland, then moved to Regina. She was educated at Regina Central Collegiate, the University of Saskatchewan on scholarships at undergraduate and graduate levels, and McGill University on a National Research Council award. The war cut short her doctoral research. In 1941, she joined the Federal Department of Agriculture's Rust Research Laboratory, at the University of Manitoba, and worked in cytogenetic research. Isabel's lifelong career of voluntarism began during wartime with the Canadian Red Cross, as a blood tester at donor clinics. After marriage to Murray, while raising three children, she became involved in the consumer movement through the University Women's Club. Her focus in the mid-1960s was advocacy for consumer credit law reform. This broadened to family and social services, post-secondary education, health care, and medical research. Isabel led or was a director of many community boards, including the Consumers Association of Canada (Manitoba Chair), Family Services of Winnipeg, Westminster United Church (Chair), Middlechurch Home (Chair), Klinic, Mount Carmel Clinic, and the Women's Canadian Club of Winnipeg (Chair). In 1968, Isabel was appointed a citizen representative on the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba. She served 14 years, including four years as the Board's representative to the University's Senate. In 1977, Isabel was installed as ninth Chancellor of the University of Manitoba, the first woman elected to this office and second female university chancellor in Canada. She served nine years (re-elected 1980 and 1983) on a full-time basis, concurrently serving on the boards of Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre (Chair, 1988-1989), Social Planning Council of Winnipeg and Canada World Youth. She defined her mission as representing the University to the surrounding community, while interpreting for the University the needs of the communities that it serves. Special thanks to Bob Raeburn who supported Isabel in her many university roles. Following her "retirement" in 1986, over the next two decades Isabel served on boards of Wawanesa Insurance Company, William and Catherine Booth College, Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, CancerCare Manitoba Foundation and J. W. Dafoe Foundation, and on the Manitoba Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee. Honours recognizing Isabel's exceptional and lifelong achievements include: investiture as a Member of the Order of Canada; honorary degrees from the Universities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and fellowship from St. John's College; recognition by HadassahWizo; inclusion in Winnipeg's Citizens' Hall of Fame; Provost of Manitoba's Order of the Buffalo Hunt; Centennial, Queen's Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilee Medals. Isabel treasured her extended family and her diverse and widespread collection of friends. Born an only child, she had many sisters: cousins Gladys Hay of Elgin and Ida Fremont of New York and daughters Diane and Madeleine, cohorts from university and early years in Winnipeg, neighbours in Deer Lodge and at Victoria Beach, companions from the University Women's Club, her UCW unit, and Beta Sigma Phi, investors in the 10-15 Club, researchers in the Twenty Club, email pen-pal Cathy Moss Booth in Australia, and her "Bobbsey Twin" Jessie Lang. Neighbour Gerald Alcock was like another son. At Shaftesbury Park, it pleased her to renew old friendships with the Thorlaksons and Funnells, and to add new ones. Isabel was blessed with a welcoming smile, an outstanding mind and memory, wide interests, empathy, energy, and courage, and used these gifts well. A lifelong archivist, record-keeper and diarist, she filled spiral-bound science notebooks with observations of daily life seen through her researcher's eyes. She went digital in her ninth and tenth decade, using her Mac computers and iPad daily to communicate, assist her memory and challenge her mind, and transcribe many hand-written records. In the days and weeks after Murray's death, Isabel was resilient and determined to re-engage. She began a new daily diary in a spiral-bound notebook. On Easter afternoon, two days after orthopedic surgery, she spoke animatedly with grandchildren about their immediate and long-term plans, and her intention to return to Victoria Beach in the summer. The family is grateful for the compassion, care and dedication of the medical and nursing care team at Seven Oaks General Hospital, the W.R.H.A. home-care team and staff at Shaftesbury Park, and Winnipeg Clinic's Dr. Prodan. The family is thankful for Isabel's enduring and inspiring gifts. A celebration of Isabel's life will be held on Monday, April 18, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. in Westminster United Church, 745 Westminster Avenue, Winnipeg, with Rev. Dr. Peter Denton officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: the Isabel and Murray Auld Fund, The Winnipeg Foundation to benefit her community, (204-944-9474) www.wpgfdn.org/IsabelAuldFund or her cherished J. W. Dafoe Foundation, www.wpgfdn.org/DafoeFoundationFund, to support its fellowships for graduate studies at the University of Manitoba and its annual national book prize awarded for non-fiction excellence about Canada, Canadians and the Canadian nation in international affairs. Wojcik's Funeral Chapels & Crematorium, Winnipeg, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204.897.4665 www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 16, 2016