Susan Genest: In Living Memory

Susan Genest

In Living Memory

Born to a military family in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Susan Genest moved from city to city throughout her childhood, eventually settling down in Montreal. In 1978 she moved to London, where she met her husband, Judge Maurice Genest.

When Maurice retired from the bench in 1995, a group of friends and colleagues established a fund in his name at LCF, commemorating his work at the Provincial Court (Family Division).

“It's a beautiful way of keeping somebody's name alive,” says Susan. “It lasts forever, long after they’ve left this life.”

2006 was a tragic and transformational year for Susan - losing her husband, Maurice, and her mother in the same year.

“It was a very difficult time, getting hit twice like that,” recalls Susan. “Death can be a very arduous journey for both the person dying and their family, so it was something that I really wanted to support.”

Inspired by the challenges she endured in 2006 and by the impact of her husband’s fund, she established the Susan Genest Fund for End of Life Care with LCF in 2018.

Not satisfied with only donating her money, Susan also began donating her voice to the Threshold Choir. Singing at the bedside of patients in hospice and palliative care, the experience is both rewarding and life-affirming for her, resonating deeply with her spiritual beliefs.

The Threshold Choir prefers to think of their activities as offerings rather than performances, a perspective Susan takes with her fund as well.

“Whether it’s singing or donating through my fund, whatever it is I can offer, that’s what I want to do,” says Susan. “I think most of us who do things around death and dying have that sense that life is precious, that we should enjoy it while we have it and just be good to people.”

Susan sees her fund as a legacy, a way to continue giving back to her community beyond her lifetime. It’s this foresight, compassion and generosity that led to Susan making a gift to LCF in her will.

“I think it's really important to leave legacies behind, no matter what form they might take,” says Susan. “I thought I could take a little pot of money and leave it to something that is really meaningful to me.”

For Susan, her fund isn’t just a legacy, but a way to connect with the community she adopted in 1978.

“There are so many people in our community who need support,” says Susan. “And a little bit of money goes a long way.”

“It's a beautiful way of keeping somebody's name alive. It lasts forever, long after they've left this life.”

– Susan Genest

Gift in Will: With a donation in your will, you can choose to create a fund in your name, with your gift invested in perpetuity – then the earnings are used to drive community change, forever.