Muriel Kovitz

MURIEL KOVITZ C.M., LL.D., LSRM. February 20, 1926 - May 30, 2021 Muriel was born in Calgary, the daughter of Norman and Ethel Libin. She received her LRSM (Piano) from the Royal Academy of Music in 1944. In 1945 she married her sweetheart Dr. David Kovitz who predeceased her in 1992. Muriel actively and proudly contributed to the welfare of her many communities, her city, the University of Calgary, the Province Alberta, and Canada. She was a woman with many leadership roles when that was still highly unusual. A pioneer, role model and inspiration for countless women. Muriel served as the first female Chancellor of the University of Calgary in Alberta from 1974 until 1978. Other involvement at the University of Calgary included: member of the Senate, and Chairman of the Senate Executive Committee, member of the Board of Governors, and member of the Board of Governors Executive Committee, all prior to being elected as Chancellor. She was a Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Calgary. Muriel's contributions to Alberta and Canada have been recognized with many honours and awards; among them, she became a Member of the Order of Canada, and the Alberta Achievement Award. She was the first female director of Imperial Oil in 1977 and, was the first Chair of the Imperial Oil Charitable Foundation. She was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau as a Commissioner of the 1979 Federal Government Task Force on Canadian Unity. Other volunteer activities included Executive of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews (Western Region); President of the Calgary Section of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada and the National Executive Committee; Co-Chairman of the Third International Banff Conference on Man and His Environment (1978); National Chairman of the School for Citizen Participation; member of the Calgary Recreation Board; President of the Calgary Social Planning Council; member of the Board of Vocational & Rehabilitation Research Institute of Calgary now known as Vecova; a member of the Calgary Housing Authority; a member of Canadian Medical Association's working group on Ethics in Human Experimentation; Honorary President of the Board of Governors of the Victoria Foundation; Board of Directors of the Greater Victoria Hospital Foundation; Director on the Board of Governors of the Boys and Girl's Club; and a founding board member of Arts Sustainability Victoria. She was a member of the Alberta Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee. Muriel had an insatiable curiosity and always saw the best in everyone. She was a warm and generous matriarch who threw legendary parties. Her friends span the country, and her ground-breaking roles have inspired many women to live their best lives and take progressive leadership roles. She was known as Super-Gram to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She feared no challenge, and at the age of 90 she mastered the iPad and kept in touch with her family and friends across the globe. Her gracious strength, beautiful laugh, eternal optimism, and sense of elegant style carry on inside her family tradition. She is survived by her three children: Jeff (Micheline), Ron (Pam), and Ethel (David); her 9 grandchildren, Sevanne (Andrew), Jodi, Bevan (Chris), Ben, Jay (Erica), Robin (Sam), Amy (Tony), Denise (Colton), and Brent; her 4 great-grandchildren, Lily, Jill, Jake, and Matty. Her brother, Alvin Libin, will miss her most dearly. Muriel was predeceased by her loving husband Dave, and her brother Leon. Muriel died peacefully at home surrounded by family, in Vancouver, BC. In light of Covid, there will not be a public service. Donations in Muriel's memory can be made to the Muriel Kovitz Prize at the University of Calgary at https://engage.ucalgary.ca/MurielKovitz