A legacy of giving back

A Leg acy of Giving Back

Keeping charity in mind when drafting a Will

Born at Royal Columbian Hospital in 1928, Roy Brainerd grew up during the Depression. “They were hard times but we kids didn’t know any different and we always had enough,” Roy remembers. The family home on Harwood Street in Central Burnaby boasted abundant vegetable gardens, fruit trees and a chicken coop. It was “out in the country in those days,” says Roy, who attended Douglas Road School and later, Burnaby’s Hugh M. Fraser High School.

Roy left school at 15 to start what would be a 41-year-long career with Snap-on Tools. In 1951, he and his new wife Carol purchased a home for $6,000. Again, times weren’t easy. They didn’t have a lot to live on. They had two mortgages, some used furniture, no car, and five dollars a week for groceries. Carol worked as a telephone operator but became a stay-at-home Mom when their first daughter was born. Roy worked seven days a week. “You just didn’t have any money. Everybody we knew was in the same boat,” he says.

The years of hard work continued as they raised their three daughters. Roy eventually retired at 56, and he and Carol took that opportunity to become tireless volunteers in their community for the next 30-plus years. Among other volunteer roles, they lent their time to causes like Meals on Wheels in New Westminster, Burnaby Village Museum’s Friends of the Carousel project, as well as driving seniors for Burnaby Citizen Support Services. Giving back to their community

remains a priority, as they financially support a number of charitable organizations, including Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. Donors since 1997, they have also chosen to remember the Foundation with a gift in their Wills. It’s their way of continuing their legacy of support after they’ve gone, and passing down their values around giving back.

Royal Columbian has always been close to their hearts, but its importance hit close to home one day in May last year. “I was going into the garden but came back inside because I felt a bit funny,” says Roy. “I collapsed and woke up on the kitchen floor.” Roy was rushed to Royal Columbian. The culprit

Roy and Car ol Br ainerd have made plan s in the ir WillS to leave a gif t to Royal Columbian Hospital Found ation .

had been a blood clot in the lungs. Fortunately, the impact of Roy’s fall had dislodged the clot. Doctors told him he would be just fine. “I had such good care. It was phenomenal. The doctors and nurses were so good to us,” says Roy.

To learn how you can support lifesaving care at Royal Columbian with a gift in your Will, contact Catherine Cornish, Manager, Legacy and Community Giving, at (604) 520-4902 or catherine.cornish@fraserhealth.ca.