Sheila Kussner, z”l, O.C., O.Q., C.O.M., was a formidable woman and her death has touched people worldwide. As tributes pour in from all corners of the globe, we’ve created this page to gather them all in one place.
If you come across something that isn’t on this page, you can send us the link by using our contact form.
The Globe and Mail
Montreal charity founder Sheila Kussner aimed to give hope to people with cancer
When Lynda Turner was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990, she received a visit in her room at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital from a woman on crutches who wanted to know if there was anything she could do. The visitor was Sheila Kussner, who had lost her leg as a teenager to osteosarcoma – the disease Terry Fox had – and who spent her adult life trying to bring hope to people with cancer.
Ms. Kussner, who died on Aug. 6, two weeks shy of her 92nd birthday, was the founder of Hope & Cope, a Montreal-based non-profit organization offering support and other vital services to cancer patients.
(An account on the Globe and Mail site is required to read the obituary.)
Douglas Hunter (author of Repairing the World: Sheila Kussner and the Power of Empathy)
Sheila Kussner, 1932-2024
Sheila would have been 92 this month. She had just called me last Friday to tell me she had finally sat down and read the book (I think she was afraid to for the longest time) and wanted me to know how much she loved it. She was as tack sharp as ever and wondered when I would next be in Montreal so she could see me. I am heartbroken I won’t see her again.
Canadian Jewish News
Obituary: Sheila Kussner, 91, whose Hope & Cope advocated for people living with cancer
Everyone in Montreal seems to know Sheila Kussner and Hope & Cope, the charity for cancer patients that she founded. Her extraordinary accomplishments and the news of her death at age 91 on Aug. 6 elicited a shockwave and outpouring of love across Canada.
JGH News
In memoriam: Sheila Kussner
What began with tragedy—the amputation of 14-year-old Sheila’s left leg above the knee due to cancer—was transformed into triumph in 1981 with the launch of Hope & Cope.
Having suffered from a lack of information about cancer and a near-absence of psycho-social support during her recovery in the late 1940s, Mrs. Kussner later committed herself to providing others with the essential assistance she had had to do without.
CBC
‘Tenacious’ Montreal philanthropist, dead at 91, helped thousands of cancer survivors, friend says
The Suburban
Hope & Cope founder Sheila Kussner passes away
Sheila Kussner, who inspired and touched generations of Montrealers with her bravery and dedication to supporting people with cancer for more than 40 years, has passed away the age of 91.
The Montreal Gazette
Obituary: Hope & Cope founder Sheila Kussner was a ‘force of nature’ in cancer care
In a story she told more than once, Sheila Kussner described being devastated at 18 when a date dumped her after learning she was an amputee; she had lost part of her left leg to bone cancer at 14. Her mother told her she had two choices: She could be bitter — or she could be better.
CTV
Montreal philanthropist Sheila Kussner has died
Hope & Cope founder Sheila Kussner dies at 91
Sheila Kussner, one of the city’s most notable philanthropists and founder of the Hope & Cope cancer support program, has died.
CJAD
Founder of cancer support program and philanthropist Sheila Kussner dies at 91
