Donna Boffo brought light, love, and creativity to every aspect of her life.
She was a self-taught artist who loved to create objects such as painted rocks, sun catchers, and colourful garden sticks, then leave them in parks and on pathways to brighten a stranger’s day.
Her long-time friend Dina Anderson often joined Donna for walks around the neighbourhood. Dina remembers that Donna would always have a handful of her treasures in her bag which she would carefully leave along the trails for people she’d never met to find with delight and curiosity.
One day while they were walking along a favourite trail, Dina noticed that the dream catchers Donna had hung in the trees the day before were gone. “Someone took them all,” she said with disappointment. “No, no,” replied Donna. “That’s just the point.”
Then she reached into her bag and pulled out half a dozen more to replace the ones that had been rehomed. And she added some painted rocks to the curation. “This is a popular spot. We’d better leave more,” Donna said quietly.
It was no surprise to Dina when Donna told her she planned to leave an estate gift to Hospice in her Will, for the comfort and care of people she would never meet. In the past, she had donated the proceeds from the sale of her garden sticks and rocks at the Teeny Tiny Garden Tour. Such a generous legacy gift would ensure that patients and their families would continue to receive her support long after she was gone.
After she received a life-limiting diagnosis, when she felt it was no longer best to live alone, Donna moved into Shannon Oaks independent living in Oak Bay. As the newest addition, easily ten to fifteen years younger than the average resident, she quickly settled and blossomed in her new community.
She made a positive impact with her willingness to call bingo games, organize craft sessions for all the residents, and warmly greet every neighbour by name and ask a bit about their family.
When Dina would ask Donna how she stayed positive and persevered through her challenges, Donna replied, “It’s just the way it is. Keep going and make the best with whatever we are handed.
“Bloom where we are planted.”
Are you interesting in leaving a legacy? Learn more at Legacy Giving – Victoria Hospice.