Joyce (Rous) Sowby ’50 (1927-2022) was an energetic and engaged member of the Trinity community throughout her life. As a student, she was involved in athletics and music, travelled to Quebec on exchange, and even won an award for her contributions to undergraduate campus life.
After Trinity, Joyce earned two more degrees (a Master of Library Science at U of T and an MA in art history at Queen’s University). She went on to work as a librarian in Nova Scotia, but she continued to make time for her Trinity classmates, acting as class rep for nearly two decades. In her retirement, she took her love of reading to a new level as one of the Friends of the Library’s hardest-working volunteers, sorting books throughout the year and helping with the Annual Book Sale each fall.
Before her death, Joyce chose to remember Trinity in her will. Her three-part bequest to the College was a tailor-made tribute to what mattered most to Joyce. Her support will bolster the Trinity experience for future students, as well as innovative library and other programs at U of T.
Provost Mayo Moran recently added Trinity to her estate plans as well. “My decision was inspired by the Living Trinity Campaign’s investments in the future of our College—and by the incredible alumni I meet every day and their commitment and generosity,” she says.
It’s also possible to create a bequest and contribute to it during your lifetime, as Susan Houston ’59 did when she established The Houston Scholarship.
For Susan, studying English language and literature in small classes in the 1950s helped to nurture what have become lifelong friendships. “We’re a gang and have been since our Trinity days,” she says of her closest chums.
In her third year, Susan had the opportunity to attend Smith College in the U.S. through a reciprocal exchange program. It was an experience that changed her life. “My exchange as a third-year Trinity student was fantastic in every possible way—intellectually, socially, academically,” she says.
It was that formative experience that inspired Susan to create The Houston Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded to one student annually who has achieved academic distinction in their program and who wishes to study abroad. The scholarship will be flexible, used to fund expenses such as travel, tuition, books and lodging. Susan and others, including her close friends Mary Williamson ’55 and Joan Winearls ’59 (University College), make annual contributions to the scholarship now, with most of the funding to come from Susan’s estate later.
“I feel good knowing that when I’m gone other Trinity students will have the same opportunity to study abroad and flourish that I did,” she says.
Remembering Trinity College in your will is a meaningful way of supporting future generations at Trinity. Options abound for how broad or specific you would like to be in your bequest, and the College’s Development and Alumni Affairs team will work with you to design your unique Trinity legacy. Those who make legacy gifts to the College are invited to join the Gerald Larkin Society, which includes special recognition in Trinity’s annual impact report, and invitations to exclusive events throughout the year.
Interested in creating your unique Trinity legacy? Learn more here or get in touch today.