The Grantham Memorial Bursary was established by Dr. Peter Grantham in memory of his wife, Vivian Greenwood Grantham, who died suddenly in May 1993, at the age of 61.
Vivian was born and grew up in Fort Langley BC, graduated from St Paul’s School of Nursing in Vancouver in 1956 and always proudly described herself as an ‘old school’ nurse. She consistently displayed the personality characteristics which made her a popular, committed, compassionate and extremely competent person and nurse. An early head nurse, leader, and innovator, she left nursing to raise her family, who still reside around Vancouver, returning to St. Paul’s in the 1970’s starting their first Short Stay and GI units, without the advantage of any further formal education herself.
From 1988 to 1990, Peter and Vivian lived in the United Arab Emirates as part of the faculty establishing a new national medical school. Vivian took great satisfaction in her relationship with this postgraduate education experience.
These bursaries commemorating her professional life are intended to assist excellent candidates in their postgraduate careers and will terminate in 2031, the 75th anniversary of Vivian Grantham’s graduation from St Paul’s Hospital. The RNFBC is pleased to see her contributions to nursing continue through this recognition.