Honouring Veryl: How a final act of generosity is transforming care at WRHN
Donor Story
John Heiser didn’t have much of a connection to Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) when he was drafting up his will.
He never received care at the local Kitchener-Waterloo hospital. He didn’t even live in the area. Yet, something was pulling him to donate a large sum to WRHN Foundation – leaving an unexpected impact on a community he wasn’t even a part of.
Why did he do it?
“He wanted to honour his late aunt, Veryl Finlay, with the significant inheritance she left him,” says Jim Harper, the executor of John’s estate.
This really is a story about how a loving nephew quietly ensured his aunt’s generosity would live on.
A modest and meaningful life
Veryl and her husband Wendell Finlay – original owner of Wendell Motors car dealership – were a staple to the Kitchener-Waterloo community, amassing financial success through their business and sound investing.
The couple, who had grown up in the Depression era, lived modestly despite their wealth. Veryl preferred simple clothing and enjoyed good conversation with friends, golfing, bird-watching, and supporting causes that mattered to her – including local healthcare.
In their later years, both Veryl and Wendell received compassionate care at WRHN that left a lasting impression.
The power of listening
Wendell had care at WRHN @ Queen’s Blvd. (then St. Mary’s), where Veryl was awed at the gentleness and patience staff showed her husband.
“I remember her saying that as a bird-watcher, what you see is based on how well you listen,” says Susan Dusick, the fundraiser who worked with Veryl.
She saw that same type of listening and patience from staff, and that responsive approach was something she truly valued.
Years later, when Veryl was diagnosed with a slow-growing cancer, team members at WRHN @ Midtown (then Grand River) treated her with the same patience and kindness.
Veryl, 98 when she died in 2019, made a large estate donation to WRHN as a show of gratitude, bringing her lifetime giving to the hospital to more than $980,000. Another gift was made to the Canadian Naturalist Society to honour her love of bird-watching.
A legacy that lives on
The rest of the Finlay Estate was divided among Veryl’s nieces and nephews – including John. But when her accountant, Jim, approached John with Veryl’s plans, he told him he didn’t really want the money.
John, described as a bit of a recluse, lived alone and had no children of his own.
“I don’t have much use for all that money,” John told Jim before he died.
Instead, I’d like you to give it to charities that Veryl would have wanted. And I want you to do that in her name.
When John passed in 2020, he left approximately $725,000 to WRHN, honouring an organization that he’d never been to, but that had shown so much compassion to Veryl and Wendell.
It was a gesture that illustrates that while people’s motivations for giving can be complex or unexpected, the impact of their generosity remains the same.
The donation will allow WRHN Foundation to fund innovative equipment and lifesaving programs that touch nearly 1.5 million residents across Waterloo Region and surrounding areas.
For the ‘dear boy’
Veryl would have been proud to see her nephew carry on her and Wendell’s legacy of giving, caring, and gratitude.
“She used to call Wendell ‘dear boy,” Jim says.
She’d be happy to see that Wendell, and the Finlay name, are continuing to make a difference in the community.
Pave the way for tomorrow’s healthcare today.
A legacy gift is a lasting act of philanthropy – a personal pledge to secure a stronger health-care system for your friends, family and neighbours at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN).