Mary Lou Owen was a longtime Ladner resident and a beloved primary teacher who inspired generations of students over her 30-year teaching career in Delta.
From her years at Ladner, Hawthorne, Cliff Drive and Neilson Grove elementary schools, Mary Lou held many fond memories of activities such as teaching square dancing, helping students create their autobiographies, and ensuring they left her class with a solid understanding of basic arithmetic. At the end of each school year, she'd create a CD of the year’s activities and gift a personal copy to each student.
But Mary Lou's influence reached far beyond the classroom.
A passionate community member, Mary Lou proudly supported the Delta Hospital Campus of Care for more than three decades.
As an active member of the Delta Hospital Auxiliary Society, she volunteered in the hospital gift shop and the thrift shop, witnessing firsthand how charitable donations directly improved patient care at the hospital. Inspired by these experiences, she chose to make a larger impact by donating directly to the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation to support critical equipment needs.
In 2021, Mary Lou funded a state-of-the-art patient monitoring system for the Emergency Department. Determined that her gift would help as many people in Delta as possible, the system now connects each bed in the ER to the central nursing station, allowing for better visibility for nurses and physicians, and bringing faster response times when even seconds can save lives.
In 2023, she made a transformational gift of more than $500,000 to fund a new 3D Mammography System for the Medical Imaging Department that produces sharper, higher-resolution images, helping thousands of patients each year by assisting in early detection of breast cancer. This gift will have a lasting impact on improving the health of Delta residents for many years to come.
Sadly, just weeks before the mammography project was completed, Mary Lou passed away peacefully, overlooking the ocean from her home. In her final days, she enjoyed feeling the sun on her face, watching youth baseball, and ensuring her philanthropic wishes would be fulfilled.
After her passing, the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation learned that Mary Lou had left a generous gift in her will for the future needs of the Delta Hospital Campus of Care – generosity that will inspire others and continue to improve healthcare in Delta for generations to come.
During Leave a Legacy Month, the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation honours Mary Lou and her lasting impact on healthcare in Delta. To learn more about opportunities to contribute to meaningful change, close to home, visit dhchfoundation.ca/ways-to-give/legacy-giving or contact Jodi Stokes, Legacy and Leadership Giving Manager, at jodi.stokes@dhchfoundation.ca or 604-940-9695.