Cliff Dezell’s decades of experience in pharmacy and healthcare administration told him something his father’s physician didn’t: His dad had only a short time to live.
“It was 1972 and the attending physician seemed unable to admit it, unfortunately. He had more difficulty dealing with the fact that my father was dying than I had,” he says.
Back then, pain management wasn’t always as effective as it is now, and the need for specialized end-of-life and hospice care was evident, Cliff says. “That experience contributed to my view of hospice care as extremely important.”
When Sharron, Cliff’s wife of 62 years, faced a life-limiting illness, Cliff wanted to do everything he could to ensure she was comfortable. During her three months at the Victoria Hospice Inpatient Unit, Cliff was by her side 12 hours a day and made sure someone was always with her when he couldn’t be.
“The staff were wonderful,” Cliff says. “I don’t think anyone works in hospice care who doesn’t really want to be there, and that’s important.”
To honour Sharron and the care she received, Cliff has directed a portion of his estate to Victoria Hospice. A monthly donor, Cliff says establishing a legacy gift extends his ongoing support into the future.
“It’s a way to support what you think is important and helping it continue after you’re gone. It’s really as simple as that. If we have extra resources, we can make informed decisions about where those resources should go,” he says. “I hope people realize the importance of the work of Victoria Hospice.”
Cliff’s generosity as a donor is part of his family history of community involvement.
“Family was the most important thing in the world, but the community was second. My father was Mayor of Prince George for 14 years, and he saw politics as a way of giving back to the community. In a way, I followed that,” he says.
Cliff was a Prince George city councilor for 23 years and a school trustee, gave time to the community school movement and the Northern Sport Centre at UNBC, among many other community-focused projects. At 90 years old, Cliff continues to actively give back as regular volunteer at the Mustard Seed food security distribution centre in downtown Victoria.
He’s also pursuing a lifelong dream of singing and performing. Shortly after Sharron died, Cliff knew he had to make some big changes, he says.