Donations are encouraged to the Brockville and District Hospital Foundation or Sherwood Park Manor in her honour
The community of Brockville is mourning Wilma Jean O’Connell, a key figure behind the development of local palliative care services, who died Wednesday (April 29) at 89.
O’Connell is widely credited with helping establish and grow the palliative care program in the region, shaping supports for patients and families for decades.
Her daughter, Susan Selleck, spoke about her as a person and as a mother.
Selleck said she believes the palliative care program would not be what it is today without her mother.
Bruce Wylie, a local radio icon who worked with O’Connell during annual telethons, referred to her as the ‘Godmother of Palliative Care in Brockville.’
Those telethons raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to sustain services.
Selleck added her mother experienced a peaceful death consistent with the principles she championed.
Visitation will be held May 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., and May 7 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a celebration of life at 1 p.m. at the Barclay Funeral Home.
Donations are encouraged to the Brockville and District Hospital Foundation or Sherwood Park Manor in her honour.
Story by: Evan Gibb
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