As most of you know, Marianne’s dedication to the nursing profession and to RNFOO specifically is exemplary and spans decades. Her contributions have supported nurses across the career trajectory, including student, practising, and retired nurses.

Her clinical career encompassed over two decades of practice and leadership in neonatal nursing before moving into academia. She has also been an active member of RNAO for many years, including Chairing interest groups and serving as Parliamentarian for the Annual Meeting.

Marianne joined the RNFOO Board in  2011 and continued to serve until 2024.   She served and then co-chaired the Infection Control Awards for 5 years and took on the position of Chair of the Awards and Scholarships committee in 2018.  Marianne continued as Chair of this committee until she retired from the Board in 2024.  During her tenure in that position, she collaborated with Heather Jones to refine, streamline, and enhance the processes for awards promotion and adjudication, resulting in a robust process that is recognized for its integrity and success. Over the years, Marianne oversaw the acquisition and integration of many new awards that support students. As part of the Nurse Innovator Award (NIA) transition group, she helped facilitate the closure of this award and the integration of RNFOO’s new Nursing Innovation Grants into the new program for Nurses in Practice awards, ensuring consistency of approach across award streams. In “passing the baton” to her successors, Marianne has handed off a set of clear processes for our core business that will serve the Foundation well in the future.

As a member of the RNFOO executive, Marianne’s wisdom and common sense were highly valued. She could always be relied upon for practical suggestions and solutions to the Foundation’s challenges over the years. Not one to dominate conversations, Marianne’s comments were always delivered with her characteristic succinctness and wry humour. 

Beyond her work with RNFOO, Marianne has contributed tirelessly to the education of future generations of nurses. She continues to work with the nursing programs at Durham College and Ontario Tech University, sharing her considerable clinical and professional expertise with students.

Clearly Marianne’s contributions to RNFOO and to the nursing profession are significant;  she is more than deserving of Honorary Life Membership in RNFOO.