UHN lost one of its most passionate champions with the passing of Dr. Gerry Halbert, C.M. on Friday August 16 at the age of 90. His enduring legacy will be his fundraising efforts to support Toronto Western Hospital and the Krembil Brain Institute.
“Gerry was one of UHN’s best friends and volunteers. He literally reshaped Toronto Western Hospital and put the Krembil Brain Institute on the international map with his drive and determination to raise much-needed funds to support top talent,” said UHN Foundation Board Chair Paul Farrell.
Gerry was a volunteer fundraiser for UHN since 1995, raising almost $135 million for neurosurgery and brain research over a 20-year period. Among the priorities he successfully helped fund included chairs, fellowships and the acquisition of Ontario’s first gamma knife.
In 2008, in the midst of a global recession, Gerry successfully completed a $60-million campaign for the Krembil Discovery Tower at the Toronto Western site. He mobilized a Campaign Cabinet of influential business and medical experts and simply would not take “no” for an answer on his personal canvasses. His leadership was instrumental in recruiting volunteers for the Campaign Cabinet and securing gifts, including the transformation gifts from the Krembil family. He followed that success by serving as Co-Chair of the Brain Campaign, along with UHN Foundation Board Member Todd Halpern, when it was launched in 2011.
A life devoted to giving back
Gerry joined the UHN Foundation Board (then Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation) in 2002 and was popular for mentoring new volunteers. He was considered a role model in the volunteer community, encouraging new board members and advising them on how to solicit and secure gifts, including current UHN Board Member Marc J. Lipton.
“Gerry was, and always will be, one my heroes and role models for how he worked with donors, doctors and the foundation. He leaves behind a huge legacy for all of us to strive for and admire,” Marc said who has been on the UHN Foundation board since 2009. Gerry encouraged Marc to become involved in fundraising, after his successful treatment for a benign brain tumour at Toronto Western Hospital.
“As a grateful patient, it can be difficult to find ways to show your appreciation in a meaningful way. Fortunately for me, Gerry was a friend of my parents and he sought me out and got me involved with UHN Foundation.”
A dentist by profession, Gerry was born and raised in Toronto. He was married to Tootsie for 64 years and they had two daughters: Michelle and Wendy. Gerry first became interested in the neuroscience program at Toronto Western through his close personal relationship with eminent neurosurgeon, Dr. Charles Tator, who was chairman of the neurosurgery division at the University of Toronto from 1989 to 1999.
“I knew Gerry for about 75 years, and he never turned down the many requests that I made of him to help build the neurosciences program at the Toronto Western. When he approached donors he was presenting them with the opportunity to do something worthwhile that he really believed in,” said Dr. Tator.
Enduring friendship spurred fundraising efforts
Dr. Tator enlisted Gerry’s help so he could put in place the building blocks for an internationally respected neurosurgery team. To that end, Dr. Tator needed to recruit and retain top young surgical talent. He also pursued his research dream to repair spinal cord injury.
“I believed in the cause and I believed in my friend,” said Gerry, referring to his motivation for raising money to support neuroscience research.
“Gerry was a great supporter of innovation, research and advances in health care at the Toronto Western Hospital and Krembil Brain Institute. At a personal level, he was a dear friend and a tremendous supporter and advocate of my work to help people with spinal cord injury and other serious afflictions affecting the spine,” said UHN Neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Fehlings.
In 2011, friends organized a tribute event for Gerry and Tootsie that raised more than $4 million and culminated in the establishment of the Gerry & Tootsie Halbert Chair in Neural Repair and Regeneration, currently held by Dr. Taufik Valiante, surgical director of the UHN’s Epilepsy Program.
Gerry was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2002 to recognize “a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.” In addition to his volunteer efforts and support of the Krembil Brain Institute, Gerry and Tootsie personally donated to several UHN priority areas, including the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, General Internal Medicine, Nursing, and Ajmera Transplant Centre.
“Gerry was a real ‘people person’, and a person of immense goodness and good cheer. He will be missed, and he will be remembered for his good deeds,” said Dr. Tator.
