In memoriam: Sister Kathleen Cyr

Sister Kathleen Cyr, SSA, BSc, MA, who died on May 3 at St. Ann’s Residence in Victoria, had a wry sense of humour, but it was her warmth and kindness that everyone remembers. As a provincial leader with the Sisters of St. Ann, her association with the University of Victoria was extensive beginning with the co-founding of the School of Nursing in 1976 and most recently serving as the Founding Chair of the School of Nursing Advisory Council.

She began her ministry as a Sister of St. Ann teaching elementary school but soon returned to university to dedicate her life to health care, obtaining a BSc and an MA in psychosocial nursing in Seattle. She also certified for adult learning, counseling, psychology and spirituality specialties before nursing in the Bulkley Valley Hospital in Smithers. In the 1960s she moved to Victoria to work in emergency and surgical nursing at St Joseph’s Hospital and then taught psychiatric nursing and later served as a hospital administrator.

Sister Kathleen oversaw the building and opening of St. Ann’s Residences and served as the administrator for the Queenswood Spirituality Centre. She was instrumental in seeing this property sold to the University of Victoria so that the legacy of the Sisters of St. Ann to promote health and education in the province could continue in perpetuity. Sister Kathleen’s lifelong dedication to health and education will continue in the nursing and education students at the University of Victoria and through the Sisters of St. Ann Scholarship in Nursing and Bursary in Education.

Submitted by Noreen Frisch, Director of UVic’s School of Nursing

Please contact Lynne Milnes at 250-472-5031 if you would like to add to the Sisters of St. Ann Scholarship and Bursary in Sister Kathleen’s memory.