The late Elizabeth “Betty” Buggey was a loving wife, devoted mother, figure skater and world traveler with a strong sense of family. Betty passed away in December 2010 at the age of 102, but her loyalty to her family continues.
Her estate gift of $50,000 to the Leslie F. Buggey fund will support graduate students in the Faculty of Pharmacy.
Started by Betty’s niece Joanne Buggey in 1988 to honour her father, the Leslie F. Buggey Graduate Scholarship has received support from the family over the years.
“The scholarship is so important in our family,” says Betty’s daughter Susan Buggey [BA/62, CertEd/63]. “All of our family is dedicated to education and teaching. My parents grew up in families that had a very high regard for education.” Her parents, she adds, passed on their belief in the transformative power of education to her and her sister Linda Rigby [BSc/65].
“The gift will provide a tremendous boost to a fund that has already benefitted students for over two decades,” says Dr. Neal Davies, Dean of Pharmacy.
The late Leslie F. Buggey was the brother of Betty’s husband Whitney “Whit” Buggey. The two brothers were very close. When Betty’s niece JoAnne started the scholarship to honour Leslie, Betty and Whit readily supported the award, along with other family members.
After Whit’s death, Betty continued supporting the Leslie F. Buggey Graduate Scholarship and attending University of Manitoba functions. In particular, she was a regular fixture at Isbister Legacy Society events up until her 101st year.
“It was her philosophy that you made the best of what you had and you made a choice to be happy or unhappy,” said Susan. “She had a very positive and constructive attitude.”
About Betty Buggey
Betty was born in Winnipeg, where she lived her entire life. She studied home economics at the Manitoba Agriculture College, which was affiliated with the University of Manitoba, and then worked at the Bank of Commerce, where she met Whit. The two were married in 1938.
After Whit retired, he and Betty travelled extensively, often by container ship. Their voyages took them twice around the globe, to Australia, Hong Kong and South Africa.
