In Memorium or Tribute Gifts
Making an In Memoriam or Tribute donation to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation is a meaningful way to pay tribute to a loved one, friend or neighbour while giving the gift of health.
Acknowledgement of your gift is sent to the family by way of a memorial card.
You may also want to support this program by letting the funeral home know that you would wish to direct all memoriam donations to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation.
This helps your friends and family know of your wish to support the needs of St. Francis Memorial Hospital, Madawaska Valley Hospice, & Valley Manor.
Gifts can be made at the funeral home or directly through the Foundation office as well as online. Please call the Foundation office for more information (613-756-3044 ext. 217).
Sample Wording for Obituaries
If you are organizing your loved one’s obituary and would like some sample wording to help direct donations to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation, feel free to use any of the phrases below:
- In Memory of (loved one’s name) the family respectfully requests donations to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation.
- In lieu of flowers, donations to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation (St. Francis Memorial Hospital OR Valley Manor OR MV Hospice Palliative Care) would be appreciated
Meet some of our In Memoriam families:
GERARD O'MALLEY
Gerard O’Malley was no stranger to the local healthcare facilities in Barry’s Bay. From being admitted to St. Francis Memorial in his childhood for Type 1/Juvenile Diabetes, to a hockey accident that left him quadriplegic in 1984, Gerard established a keen respect for his local hospital.
“For 40 years he required the professional services of this unique healthcare facility,” Gerard’s sister Joan Cybulski said. “Gerard had great admiration for the staff, services and the care he received over the years.”
He also had a special place in his heart for the Valley Manor, since it was a place for seniors and those with disabilities to live without leaving their home community.
When he was diagnosed with cancer, he experienced quality care from the Madawaska Valley Hospice Palliative team.
Gerard made it a priority to assist St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation, which raises funds for Hospital, Hospice and the Valley Manor. As co-owner at the Barry’s Bay Metro, he would support the many events and programs initiated by the Foundation. Even after he passed on February 29, 2024, Gerard had directed his family to request that in memoriam donations be made to four local charities, including the Foundation.
He wanted donations go to the greatest need, which allows the Foundation to direct funds when and where they are needed the most.
By doing this, and through his overwhelming generosity over the years, Gerard helped create a lasting legacy and will ensure healthcare remains local for generations to come.
DOROTHY CORBEIL
Dorothy Corbeil of Golden Lake was a doer. As a Registered Nurse, she knew that the only way to get things done properly was to roll up your sleeves and do them yourself. Local healthcare was her passion and she wanted to ensure that residents had access to quality services and equipment.
“She was on a mission to improve healthcare in the region and her way was to become directly involved on boards and committees and such,” her son Andre Corbeil said.
Dorothy battled lymphoma and spent her final days at Madawaska Valley Hospice, where she was cared for by the exceptional staff and volunteers. She died December 6, 2023, “after a fulfilling and happy life” her obituary (which she wrote) read.
“We - my brother and I - didn't choose the Foundation for donations, my mother herself did,” Andre said, touching on the fact that Dorothy thought of every last detail. “I can certainly speak to how important the hospital and hospice were to me at the end of her life and that my mother knew how important they would be when and if she should need them.”
It was important to Dorothy to leave a lasting legacy on local healthcare. She asked that In Memoriam donations be directed to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation in her name for the greatest need at either the hospital, Valley Manor or hospice.
“She wanted the Foundation to be the designated donation recipient because she was so proud of all you do for the community,” Andre explained. “Not just the hospital, but healthcare workers overall.”
Asking for In Memoriam donations to go to the greatest need ensures our partners at the hospital, Valley Manor and hospice have the tools they need to offer exceptional healthcare close to home.
It’s as simple as asking that “in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation.”
LORRAINE BRIGGS
If you ever needed a prescription filled at the Barry’s Bay pharmacy, you likely met Lorraine Briggs.
She was the daughter of Henry J. Chapeskie and Rose C. Chapeskie and pursued a degree in pharmacy at the University of Toronto. In 1954, she opened Lorraine’s Pharmacy, the first in Barry’s Bay. Her husband Ron was also a pharmacist, who worked alongside Lorraine until his death in 1975.
Lorraine went on to raise her six children alone, while running her pharmacy. As the children got older, she joined the Canadian Cancer Society and served as president of the local branch. It was a way of honouring her late husband.
Her son John said his mother had a firsthand perspective on local healthcare on the community and was so very supportive of it.
“Mom recognized that local healthcare is one of the foundations of our community,” he said. “She worked within it for 40 years and like all of us she sought the services provided by it when needed. She fully understood that supporting the health and wellbeing of her fellow citizens would be better achieved in dedicated healthcare facilities staffed with creative and empowered people.”
She actively supported the healthcare teams operating withing the community, at the hospital and at the Valley Manor. When she passed at the age of 92 in 2022, her children wanted to honour her by dedicated In Memoriam donations to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation.
“Choosing Memoriam donations to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation upon her passing was something that we as a family knew she would support wholeheartedly,” John said.
The family also chose to purchase a stone on the Memorial Mural to honour their late mother.
“Her dedication to supporting the work of our healthcare teams in the community, at the hospital, and at the Valley Manor, as the town’s first pharmacist, should not be forgotten,” John said. “It was important for our family to publicly recognize her for all of her efforts by purchasing a stone on the Memorial Mural. It also serves as a reminder to all of us who follow that we need to continue with her work.”
ROBIN MCLEAN
Robin McLean wore many hats over his lifetime; husband, dad, grandpa, business owner.
He was raised in Combermere, eventually relocating to Toronto where he worked at various jobs. He met and married Rita Peplinskie and after a few years of city life, they decided to move back home to Combermere where they raised their two sons, Mitchell and Matthew.
Robin became a licensed electrician and owned his own business for 40 years. During those years, he obtained his master electrician, plumber and linesman licenses. He was highly trusted and recommended by his many customers and employees.
He enjoyed the outdoors, and was a skilled, competitive ice racer, master water skier, avid fisherman and hunter, and so much more.
Robin was diagnosed with non-familial ALS in 2020, a disease that progressed rapidly in him causing many trips to St. Francis Memorial Hospital`s emergency department over the months.
“As Robin’s health was quickly declining, he requested to go to Hospice,” his wife Rita said. “We were already familiar with the amazing management, staff, volunteers and home-like setting, as we spent a lot of time there with his mother, Elsie a few months earlier.”
Rita said her husband expressed concern that she would essentially burn out if she was to look after him 24 hours a day.
Sadly, Robin passed away on June 2, 2021. His family asked that In Memoriam donations be directed to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation for the highest priority needs.
“We appreciated and were so grateful for every bit of help we received during this very stressful time dealing with Robin’s horrible illness that we encouraged any one that could to make a donation to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation in Robin’s memory,” Rita said. “We were overwhelmed, and very thankful to the many, many people who sent donations in his memory.”
She said that the family will continue to support the foundation, to ensure that other families will benefit from the wonderful local healthcare services in the community.
