Hope & Cope founder Sheila Kussner dies at 91
CTV
Sheila Kussner, one of the city's most notable philanthropists and founder of the Hope & Cope cancer support program, has died. She was 91.
Sheila Kussner, one of the city's most notable philanthropists and founder of the Hope & Cope cancer support program, has died.
She was 91.
Longtime friend Lillian Vineberg confirmed to CTV News she passed away on Tuesday, just weeks before her 92nd birthday.
Even in her 90s, Kussner continued to raise funds for the volunteer psychosocial program she founded in 1981 at the Jewish General Hospital that was near and dear to her heart.
She was a pioneer in the world of cancer in Montreal, and her tireless efforts were recognized with several awards over the years, including the Order of Canada in 1995 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
As a cancer survivor, she knew first-hand how a cancer diagnosis can affect someone's life. She lost part of her leg at 14 due to bone cancer and went on to counsel other cancer patients in Montreal.
Kussner was affected again by the illness when her husband, Marvyn, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in his 40s.
