WYLIE, Dorothy M. —
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. A Celebration of Dorothy’s Life will take place at a later date. 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