photo_reneeAn avid gardener, an ambitious traveler, a devoted wife and mother of three sons, a loving grandmother and greatgrandmother, and a philanthropist in her own right, the legacy of Renee Marie Dyke will forever live on at St. Joseph’s. The Hospital Foundation received a $9,000 gift from Renee’s estate to be donated to support cardiac care.

Cardiac care was an area of importance for Renee who suffered from congestive heart failure in the latter part of her long life of 99 years. The hospital and the compassionate care it delivered to her and her late husband Harry meant so much to them. Harry, a severe diabetic since early adulthood, frequented the hospital due to his medical condition. Rather complacent and less diligent about his treatment, it was Renee who kept on top of things, asking inquisitive questions and meticulously examining numbers only the skilled healthcare professionals could translate. Yet together they made a complimentary pair who felt indebted to their community hospital. Renee purchased a leaf in her and her husband’s name for the Tree of Life in 2000 expressing then just how valuable St. Joseph’s was in their lives. Renee’s wish was to share her and Harry’s estate between St. Joseph’s, the BC Children’s Hospital and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

“We always knew how much the level of care she and our father received from St. Joseph’s meant to her,” expressed Dave Dyke, eldest son. “It is so nice to see people leaving something for organizations in need. That is exactly the kind of caring person she always was.”

A legacy gift made to St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation makes a difference in all of our lives. Over the years, these gifts have helped ensure that the future needs of health and care can continue to be met for our community.