Dawn SMITH

SMITH, Dawn Adele Ph.D., M.N., B.Sc.N.
Our lovely Dawn left us too soon on December 7th, 2012. Fun, fantastic mother to Shay and Matt, and beloved wife of Christopher McBean, Dawn's bright light faded this fall passing peacefully at home after a protracted illness. Dawn was born February 4, 1964 in Edmonton, Alberta, the fourth of six children, graduating from high school in Mill Bay on Vancouver Island. She earned her Bachelors of Science of Nursing in 1987 at the University of British Columbia and her Masters in Nursing at Dalhousie University in 1995. She practiced both hospital and community health nursing in several provinces. Her courage and passion for remedying injustice took her overseas where she worked with displaced people at the Burmese and Thai borders in 1989/90. Dawn moved from Vancouver Island to Ottawa on her own with her two boys to complete her Ph.D. in Population Health at the University of Ottawa. Her aim was to reduce the inequities in the health of populations, focusing particularly on aboriginal communities. In 2005, Dawn was appointed an assistant professor at University of Ottawa's School of Nursing. There, she conducted research on improving knowledge and capacity for safe and responsive preventive health care for members of marginalized populations. In 2006, Dawn became the first holder of the Loyer Da Silva Research Chair in Public Health Nursing and an associate professor. Dawn's sense of fun and wonder attracted many friends including Chris whom she married in 2007. In addition to her supportive and much loved husband and sons, Dawn leaves behind her parents Claire and Doug, her siblings Laurie, Wendy, Sue, Dave and Mike and their spouses as well as several precious nieces and nephews. Special thanks to the Beth Donovan Hospice, and the attending doctor and nurses. A celebration of Dawn's life will be held in the New Year. In memory of Dawn, friends are asked to donate to the Dawn A. Smith Award at the University of Ottawa.