Norma WYLIE

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WYLIE: Norma Augustine Wylie was born August 22, 1918, the first child of Charlie and Hannah Wylie in Alsask, Saskatchewan, but spending much of her childhood in Hannah, Alberta. From her earliest years Norma knew that she wanted to be a nurse or missionary, and at the age of 19, entered the nursing program at Saskatoon City Hospital graduating in 1941. This was soon followed by obtaining a teaching certificate from the University of Toronto. When she made her career choice she had no idea that her profession would take her to England for two years as a nursing sister in the Canadian army in WW II. This experience had a profound impact on her, caring for boys her own age who were dying. She returned to work in a veterans' hospital in Calgary for four years but she longed to apply her education to teach nursing. Her first of many 'firsts', Norma took up the challenge of being the first Inservice Educator for nursing staff at the Vancouver General Hospital, before attending the University of British Columbia to receive her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Devoted to teaching at the bedside, Norma came to embrace a global vision for service which eventually involved her in the United Nations World Health Organization. Her placement in Singapore and later Malaysia reinforced her sense of vocation. She grew to greatly love the peoples of the east. During these years she took time out to get her Masters of Science in Nursing, University of California specializing in psychiatric nursing. By 1967 she said goodbye to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and returned to Canada to accept the offer to come to Hamilton, Ontario and open up the new and innovative McMaster University Medical Centre as its first Director of Nursing. She arrived the same day as the architect and shared in shaping a unique and outstanding medical centre designed around the needs of the patient and their family. Six years later, once the hospital was fully operational, Norma resigned and spent time at the now famous St. Christopher's Hospice, London, England. She had been intrigued with the writings of Dr. Cecily Saunders, considered the founder of the modern hospice movement in the western world, and used this time to grow under her leadership. This led to her becoming an Associate Professor of Nursing at Dalhousie University and a Clinical Specialist in Thanatology at the Victoria Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Here she worked with the hospital chaplain to provide clinical teaching and support on the oncology ward to students of all disciplines. In time Norma, along with interdisciplinary team members, launched the first hospice program in the Maritimes. At the age of 60, she was wooed to the University of Springfield, Illinois, in their unique Medical Humanities faculty, School of Medicine, to become the first nurse to be hired as a full Professor with tenure in a school of medicine in the United States and no doubt in Canada as well. Her first book, 'The Nurse's Role in Medical Education" was published; and with retirement at the age of 70, SIU conferred on her the honor of a Professor Emerita. But retirement barely slowed her down. Between workshops, publishing her second book, "Walking With the Dying", Norma returned to China where she taught for a month with an interpreter. Before leaving, they made her an honorary professor at Sun Yat-Sen University. She arrived in Brandon, 2001, at the age of 83 as a Stanley Knowles visiting Professor in Palliative Care, Faculty of Health Studies, Brandon University. Within two years she returned to accept an Honorary Doctorate in Education from BU, and soon returned to make her home in Canada once more, here in Brandon. As her health declined she made a major donation of her Asian artifacts to BU, Department of Fine Arts. Norma died peacefully November 21, 2010 in Fairview Home surrounded by faithful friends, especially Carol and John English & family who were friends for 40 years. She was 92. Norma was predeceased brother Jack, and is fondly remembered by brother Jim, and eight nieces and nephews. She will always remain a special person to her five godchildren, Dr. Tom Bailey, Victoria, B.C., Serene and Sheila Tan, Vancouver, B.C., Sarah Sobry, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, and Ethan English of Brandon, MB. As her friends have said, "Norma was a great lady who left an indelible mark on so many lives." Her legacy will long live on! Funeral Service was held at St. George's Anglican Church, Brandon, Manitoba on Saturday, November 27, 2010. Interment will take place at a later date at St. Andrew's Cemetery, Markham, Ontario. If friends so desire, donations in memory of Dr. Norma Wylie may be made to the Fairview Home Foundation, 1351 - 13th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 4S6 or to a charity of choice. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com. Arrangements were with Memories Chapel & Pre-Planning Centre, 727-0330.

As published in Brandon Sun on Dec 11, 2010