Share Your Peel Memorial Story: Be Part of the Legacy
We know the walls of Peel Memorial hold countless stories of compassion, resilience, and connection. Now, we want to hear yours.
If you have visited one of William Osler Health System's (Osler) Brampton hospitals over the past 25 years, you may have recognized our beloved lobby desk volunteer, Harvey Webster.
Harvey began his journey with Osler in 2000 at the original Peel Memorial Hospital. Back then, Harvey was the manager of a major supermarket chain and in the little free time he had, he would create beautiful dollhouses to be auctioned off to raise funds for the hospital. Upon retirement, Harvey, inspired by his wife Pat’s commitment to hospital fundraising, became a weekly volunteer at Peel Memorial's lobby desk.
Harvey’s role included greeting visitors, assisting with wayfinding, looking up patient information, and problem-solving—all of which he did with excellent customer service and a bright smile. When Peel Memorial closed, Harvey began volunteering at Brampton Civic Hospital and was excited to return “home” to Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness when it reopened in 2017. In total, Harvey served more than 6,700 hours at Brampton Civic and Peel Memorial.
In 2015, Harvey lost his wife, but he continued volunteering to keep her legacy alive, doing what mattered most to her—giving back to the hospital. Harvey and Pat would have celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary this year, but Harvey kept her close to his heart by wearing Pat’s volunteer vest and a pair of her favourite white runners each time he came in to volunteer.
On December 3, 2022, Harvey was honoured at the Bramgate Automotive year-end gala as the winner of the inaugural William Johnston Community Award. The late William Johnston was a long-time resident and businessman in Peel Region and the founder of Bramgate Automotive. To honour his legacy, the award was created to recognize the exceptional service of one volunteer at Osler and to thank them for the crucial role they play in enhancing the patient care experience—something that made a big impact on William and his family during his illness.
With deep sadness, we share that Harvey passed away on Tuesday, April 15th at Brampton Civic Hospital. He will finally be reunited with his beloved wife, Pat. Even while in hospital, Harvey remained dedicated to Osler—requesting that donations be made to support the oncology unit, a final act of generosity from a man who gave so much.
Harvey’s legacy of compassion and service will live on through every life he touched at Osler. He once said,
“For as long as I am able, I will continue to be here because I love my job.”
And true to his word, Harvey gave all that he could—right to the very end.
He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.