Ontario Tech University remembers community champion and philanthropist Wilma Lovell

 (Front left) Diana Kirk, Wilma Lovell, (back left) Arthur Lovell and Linda McGill.

Ontario Tech University mourns the loss of longtime supporter Wilma Lovell, 44-year owner of The Gift House in downtown Oshawa, who passed away on December 13, 2023. She is also the wife of the late Stanley, former owner of Lovell Drugs. Together, they established an enduring family tradition of community philanthropy, with a strong emphasis on bolstering higher education.

The Lovell Family, devoted champions of Ontario Tech, has generously supported students and the university for many years. The family’s most recent gift included a significant contribution to the construction of Shawenjigewining Hall, the university’s newest building that opened in 2021, and to research activities in the MaxSim Health lab led by Dr. Adam Dubrowski, Canada Research Chair in Health-Care Simulation, whose research is advancing simulation training to drive improvements in health-care delivery globally.

In 2023, Ontario Tech’s nursing innovation suite was named the S.E. Lovell Family Simulation Laboratory in recognition of the Lovell Family’s legacy of support. The naming also honours the memory of Stanley Lovell, who was President of the Lovell Drugs pharmacy chain from 1954 to 2000.

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“My heartfelt condolences go out to Mrs. Lovell’s family, friends, and loved ones on behalf of the university. Mrs. Lovell’s legacy of unwavering community support is truly inspirational. Through her dedication, she has left an enduring impact that will continue to resonate within the Ontario Tech University community and beyond.”

-James Barnett, Vice-President, Advancement, Ontario Tech University