The Kind of Gift That Lives On

During Leave a Legacy Month, we honour the quiet generosity of planned giving that leaves a lasting mark on Lakeridge Health Bowmanville Hospital.

Choosing to leave a gift in a will is a deeply personal decision. For some, it begins with gratitude for care received. For others, it’s loyalty to a hospital that stood beside their family during a difficult time. And for many, it’s a desire to ensure exceptional care close to home for generations to come. 

As the Foundation celebrates 50 years of transforming community generosity into high-quality care, it reflects on some of the legacy donors whose gifts in their will have helped shape health care at Lakeridge Health Bowmanville Hospital today. 

Tony and Johanna Horstman carried that loyalty with them for many years, eventually inspiring an estate gift that helped transform diagnostic imaging at Bowmanville Hospital. Both had spent years caring for former spouses through prolonged illness. Tony’s first wife, Molly, was a frequent patient at Bowmanville Hospital, and the care she received left a lasting impression on him. 

Later in life, Tony and Johanna found one another. After losing their respective spouses, the two met while on holiday in Belgium in 1993. Johanna moved to Canada at 70 to begin a new chapter with Tony in north Bowmanville, where their home became the centre of their life together. 

As Tony’s health declined, they made a decision about what would come next. The proceeds from the eventual sale of their beloved home would be given to the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation.  

After Johanna passed away at nearly 91 years old, the home was sold and $431,564.13 was donated in their honour. The gift supported the Foundation’s $1.5 million Back the CAT campaign, helping bring a state-of-the-art CT scanner to Bowmanville Hospital in 2017. The space was named the Johanna and Tony Horstman CT Scanner Suite in recognition of their generosity. 

Daisy and Jack Morrison’s legacy reflects the same quiet devotion. 

Jack served in the Second World War with the Indian Army Ordnance Corps and the Royal Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Daisy built a distinguished career at BMO, helping implement the bank’s first computer systems, and lived just shy of 100 years. Their lives were defined by service, kindness, and community. 

When Jack received care at Bowmanville Hospital, Daisy experienced the compassion and expertise of the team firsthand. In gratitude, she chose to leave a legacy gift of $150,000 to the Foundation, ensuring others would receive the same care close to home. 

Legacy gifts like these are often arranged quietly. Some donors are able to give generously during their lifetime, while others make their most meaningful gift through their estate, creating an impact that will be felt for generations. 

While many planned gifts remain private, informing the Foundation of your intentions allows us to express our gratitude, ensure your wishes are understood, and welcome you into a community of supporters helping shape the future of health care in Clarington. 

The J.W. Alexander Starlight Society was established in 2011 to bring together and honour individuals who have chosen to include the Foundation in their estate plans. Named after J.W. Alexander, whose 1912 gift of his home and land helped establish what would become Bowmanville Hospital, the Society recognizes donors not only in memory, but during their lifetime. 

Members of the Society are recognized within the hospital, with names dating back to 1995 soon to be joined by a new digital donor wall that will continue this tradition while preserving the original as a historical tribute. Members are also invited to special gatherings throughout the year, including an intimate afternoon tea, offering an opportunity to connect with fellow supporters and hear how their future gifts will help shape care in Clarington. 

Leave a Legacy Month is a reminder that how we choose to be remembered can leave a lasting impact on future generations. Through planned giving, donors ensure that compassionate, high-quality care will continue for families across our community, today, tomorrow, and for years to come.