Fred Town spent his life with his nose to the grindstone, working hard for every nickel and counting every penny.

Fred was born in 1925 into a family with six other siblings, including an identical twin brother named Bert. He worked the shipyards in Vancouver until he and two of his brothers started their own farm in 1947.

It was there he truly found happiness and built his legacy — part of which he would selflessly donate to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

“Fred was such a warm, generous soul,” says John Wood, Fred’s executor. “Despite living through the Depression, suffering through hard times and doing very physically demanding work, he was always the kind of person to give someone the clothing off his back.”

Fred left an incredibly generous gift to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation in his will. Through his generosity, researchers at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health are pursuing new, creative ideas to better understand and treat brain diseases.

Philanthropic support is vital for kickstarting innovative, original ideas and will impact British Columbians for years to come.

From everyone at VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, we are incredibly thankful to Fred Town. His legacy is forever tied to transforming health care in BC.

Join donors like Fred by leaving a gift in your will to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and help make a difference for patients, today and into the future. Learn more about leaving a legacy.