Dorothy Wylie

1929-2016

Dorothy passed away peacefully, in her sleep, at St. Michael’s Hospital Palliative Care Unit on Saturday, August 13, 2016. In her 87th year, Dorothy was predeceased by her mother, Muriel Margaret (Whitehead) and her father, Irvine John. She will be greatly missed by her many friends, colleagues and family members. Born and raised in Toronto, Dorothy went on to establish herself as one of Canada’s outstanding nursing leaders. She graduated from St. Michael’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1950. Dorothy earned a BScN from NYU in the early 1960s and an MA from Columbia University in 1969 while working at Cornell Medical Centre as the Head Nurse in the Recovery Room.

Dorothy was well known as a teacher, mentor, coach, volunteer, risk-taker and friend to many. She held leadership positions at Scarborough Centenary Hospital, Sunnybrook Medical Centre, and the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario before her appointment as Vice President, Nursing at the 1000 bed Toronto General Hospital, the largest hospital in the country at the time. Dorothy served as Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto and Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba. Dorothy is a former President of the College of Nurses of Ontario, a founding member of both the Ontario Provincial Nurse Administrators’ Interest Group and the Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership. She was named a Fellow of Ryerson University in recognition of her pioneering work in promoting excellence in nursing practice. The establishment of the Dorothy M. Wylie Health Leadership Institute with the Canadian Nurses Association was, in Dorothy’s mind, the greatest tribute to her and her career. At the Institute, carrying on Dorothy’s vision, current and emerging health care leaders work to accomplish core leadership competencies appropriate to leading current and future staff in complex health care organizations. Cremation has taken place. Dorothy would have appreciated donations in her name to the Registered Nurses Foundation of Ontario (RNFOO). Special thanks is extended to the staff of the Haemodialysis Unit at St. Michael’s Hospital. Condolences www.rskane.ca

A Celebration of the Life of Dorothy M. Wylie, a Canadian Nursing leader, will take place on Monday, September 26, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. in Toronto.

The Celebration will be held at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg, Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street (Health Sciences Building) in the Sixth Floor Lecture Hall, Room 610. A Reception will follow the Celebration. Family, friends and colleagues are invited to attend.

The Faculty is located on the south side of College Street, one block west of University Avenue. The closest subway stop is Queen’s Park.