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Empowering the future: How estate donors are transforming lives for UBC Pharm Sci students

Marilyn and Raymond Rousseau’s legacy lives on through a bursary for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Marilyn and Raymond Rousseau

When Anne Larson and Bruce Fingarson think about their mother Marilyn Rousseau, they remember how she loved to bake bread on Saturday mornings, have lively conversations at the dinner table and explore the outdoors. But what they recall most vividly about their mother is her deep passion for her family and lifelong career as a pharmacist.

“As adults, if any one of us got sick, mom would call us and ask what the doctor had prescribed,” says Anne. “A week later, a handwritten note would arrive in the mail from mom, explaining what we needed to know about our medication. That’s just who mom was—she cared so much about everyone around her.”

Marilyn received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from UBC in 1955. She went on to have a successful career as a community and hospital pharmacist in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland and in the Okanagan. A highlight for her was managing the opening of pharmacies, a professional venture that inspired her to settle in Osoyoos after playing an integral role in setting up a new Safeway pharmacy in Penticton.

Marilyn thrived on balancing work and family. She raised her four children and had a zest for creativity—she came up with recipes to make one chicken feed everyone for an entire week—and instilled that same enthusiasm and work ethic in her children.

As she progressed in her career, Marilyn recognized a gap in health care—most scientific studies were focused on men, and she was seeing firsthand how drugs often had different effects on women. She quickly developed an interest in better understanding this impact and became an advocate for women’s health.

“My mom was the most caring and selfless person you’d ever meet, and she was so passionate about teaching and helping others,” says Bruce. “She loved every aspect of pharmacy, from interacting with patients to mixing drugs to mentoring pharmacy students, and that love really started during her time at UBC.”

Later in life Marilyn married Raymond Rousseau, and giving back was very important to the couple, who supported nearly 30 charities every year, including UBC’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Marilyn and Raymond both passed in 2021 and left gifts to the Faculty as part of their respective estates.

The result of the couple’s bequests is the Marilyn and Raymond Rousseau Memorial Bursary in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The bursary is endowed and will provide ongoing support to future generations of undergraduate students with financial need.

“It makes me so proud to know that because of my mom and Raymond, students at UBC Pharm Sci will have support for years to come,” says Anne. “It’s a fantastic way to honour their legacy.”

Ryan was the first student to receive the Marilyn and Raymond Rousseau Memorial Bursary in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and says he developed a keen interest in a career in pharmaceutical sciences during the pandemic.

“I saw so much drug innovation happening and pharmacists working hard to provide their communities with vaccines that I was inspired to pursue the Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences degree,” he says. “UBC is a leader in science and health, so I was happy to be accepted!”

For Ryan, this bursary has helped alleviate some of the financial burden associated with an undergraduate degree.

“I’ve never received something like this before and I feel so touched that others are looking out for students,” he says. “I’m so grateful that Marilyn and Raymond saw the value in supporting me!”

Support future generations of UBC Pharm Sci undergraduate students by contributing to the Marilyn and Raymond Rousseau Memorial Bursary in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

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