Without your support,

we would not be able to help the thousands of community members who look to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation to champion improved healthcare.

Generations of Good

You want to have an impact on the world that your children and grandchildren will inherit.

For the Nagy family, who live – and run their successful family business – on the Saanich Peninsula, SPHHF plays a big role in their philanthropic planning.

They believe that “three basic cornerstones are required to build a robust society: housing, food and healthcare.” Their confidence in the power of local support led them to SPHHF. “Supporting the Foundation achieves the results we seek, to ensure our neighbours and family thrive.” Every generation is impacted by the health care available in the community: legacy giving ensures the next generation benefit from the same high standard of care, as well as capitalising on new innovations.

–Steve Nagy
President, Graphic Office Interiors

Carrying On a Legacy of Giving

In biology class almost 50 years ago, Sheri Eisenhuth met the boy who would become the great love of her life.

Gordon sat behind her, and one day when their papers were passed back, a note appeared on hers: “Nice buns.” Sheri turned around, surprised, and then laughed. It was cheeky, charming, and perfectly Gordon. That lightness, Sheri says, stayed with him throughout their 49 years together. It is the spirit she now carries with her as she honours his life.

“Gordon was a man of great integrity,” Sheri shared. “Very community-minded, super generous, and always thinking about others.”

He was a devoted husband and father. When their son Daniel was born with significant needs, Sheri and Gordon became an even stronger team. The days were demanding, but Gordon showed up with patience and purpose, becoming Daniel’s advocate and champion. His commitment to family extended into the wider community. He was known for his integrity during his years with the Ministry of Highways and as someone friends and family could depend on. During COVID, he helped create a safe gathering space in their backyard, earning the nickname “Papa Gord” from the families who found connection there.

There was also a quiet strength in Gordon that few people knew about. In his twenties, he nearly died from ulcerative colitis and required emergency surgery that resulted in an ileostomy. Sheri describes him as brave and uncomplaining, never allowing it to stop him from living fully.

Years later, when Gordon was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer, Sheri’s world narrowed to the exhausting reality of caregiving while continuing to support Daniel. Then came a turning point.

Gordon was admitted to the Palliative Care Unit at Saanich Peninsula Hospital.

“When I got there, I thought, oh my gosh… I can finally just be his wife,” Sheri recalled.

For the first time in months, she did not have to manage every detail. His care team provided steady, compassionate care. Even when Gordon was unresponsive, they spoke to him respectfully, treating him as the person he had always been.

“I was amazed at the respect and the kindness he received right till the end,” Sheri said. “It wasn’t just care for him. It was care for me. I felt supported.”

Sheri remembers the small comforts that mattered and the thoughtful design of a space that welcomed family. It is this level of compassionate care that donor generosity helps enhance, ensuring dignity, comfort, and support in life’s most tender moments.

“This is an incredible gift, to live in British Columbia where we even have the option of hospice,” Sheri reflected. “It’s a huge financial cost to provide hospice, and I didn’t want to take it for granted.”.

After Gordon died, Sheri found herself surrounded by the reminders of his daily life, including boxes of items he had ordered during his illness. Rather than return them, she, her family, and friends organized a garage sale in his honour, with a simple goal of raising $1,000 for the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation.

They posted the sale in the community and displayed a sign explaining that all proceeds would support the foundation. People arrived in the rain, some came to shop, others simply handed Sheri cash to contribute. When she counted the total, it was $1,001.

“We live in such a kind, caring, thoughtful community,” she said.

For Sheri, the fundraiser was more than a donation. It was a reflection of the generosity that defined her husband’s life.

“We want to carry on that legacy of giving,” she shared. “It’s important to realize we also need to give back.”

By sharing her experience, Sheri hopes others will better understand what is available when they need it most.

“Stories like this help people understand what’s there,” she said.

In honouring Gordon, Sheri has created something lasting, a reminder of what compassion looks like, what community can do, and how donor support helps families through life’s most difficult transitions.

Sheri and Gordon sitting in the same school desks where their story began.

Stories like Sheri’s remind us that community generosity makes a lasting difference. Your support helps advance care and enhance services at Saanich Peninsula Hospital for patients and families today and into the future.

Generosity at the Heart of Our Community

Generosity has long been at the heart of the Saanich Peninsula community. Each year, the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation sees this generosity reflected through the support of local residents and businesses who believe deeply in caring for one another and strengthening health care close to home.

Trudy and Konrad Busch’s matching gift, along with funds raised through the Spirit Gala, is supporting the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation’s Enhancing Surgical Services and Parking campaign. The campaign is focused on improving access to surgical care and addressing critical parking challenges, helping ensure patients, families, and care teams can access the hospital when they need it most. Community members who wish to learn more or support these priorities are encouraged to donate online.

In 2025, that generosity was on full display at the Foundation’s Annual Spirit Gala held at the Mary Winspear Centre. Community members came together to support local health care, contributing generously throughout the evening. What was not known at the time was the impact the Gala would continue to have in the days that followed.

The day after the event, community supporter Trudy Busch made the decision to match the funds raised at the Spirit Gala with a gift of $548,879.00, given in honour of her late husband, Konrad.

Trudy recalls the moment clearly. “We were in the car, and it came to me. I said, I think I’m going to match this.”

Her decision was rooted in gratitude for the care she and Konrad experienced through Saanich Peninsula Hospital, and in a belief that giving is most meaningful when it can be put to work right away. “If you can help, you do it,” she says. “It is common sense.”

Konrad was a man shaped by resilience, optimism, and hard work. Growing up in Europe during the war, he experienced loss and upheaval at a young age. As a teenager, he fled with his family, carrying his younger siblings to safety, before eventually building a new life in Germany. Years later, Konrad immigrated to Canada with Trudy, arriving with little more than determination, a belief in opportunity, $100, and a $10 reimbursement from the airline after one of their suitcases arrived damaged.

Together, Trudy and Konrad built successful aviation businesses, working side by side and treating employees like extended family. Trudy speaks with pride about Konrad’s integrity, generosity, and quiet leadership. Konrad was someone who helped others without hesitation and who always found the positive in even the most difficult situations.

“He always had a smile,” she says. “Even when things were hard, he focused on the good.”

Giving back to their community was always part of the shared life of Trudy and Konrad. Supporting the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation became a natural extension of their values, particularly as the hospital played a role toward the end of Konrad’s life, when he spent his final days there.

Trudy speaks simply about that time, expressing appreciation for the care provided and for the importance of having a hospital close to home. “Everybody needs a hospital someday,” she said.

Her matching gift has already had a meaningful ripple effect. Following her donation, the Foundation saw increased momentum, with other donors sharing the match inspired them to give more. Trudy’s generosity became a catalyst, reinforcing what is possible when community members lead by example.

When asked what she would say to someone considering a gift in gratitude or in memory of someone they love, Trudy’s answer was straightforward. “Do it,” she said.

The Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation is deeply grateful for Trudy’s past, present, and future generosity. Her story is one of many that reflect the care, commitment, and sense of responsibility shared by this community.

Together, funds raised through the Spirit Gala and Trudy Busch’s matching gift are supporting the Foundation’s Enhancing Surgical Services and Parking campaign. The campaign is focused on strengthening access to surgical care and addressing critical parking challenges, helping ensure patients, families, and care teams can access the hospital when they need it most.