Beddis died of cancer on June 29. She was 72 years old.
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Local philanthropist Robin Beddis is being remembered for her dedicated work with local charities, most notably in the growth of the Alberta Children’s Helpline.
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Beddis died of cancer on June 29. She was 72 years old.
He was born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1950 and lived in many different Canadian cities growing up. She married Ian Beddis 47 years ago and, after time in Toronto and Edmonton, the two settled in Calgary in 1981 and never left, although Ian said they planned to stay for just a few years.
“We fell in love with the city and just didn’t want to move,” Ian said Wednesday.
The couple raised four children, including a son from Ian’s first marriage: Matthew, David, and twins Kevin and Jamie.
“David was about a year and a half when Kevin and Jamie came on the scene, so we had three under twos. And the twins were identical, so it was a difficult time for us,” Ian said. “She was a housewife for the first few years. . . And when the kids started to grow up, that’s when she got so involved in the charitable sector.”
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Throughout her volunteer career, she demonstrated her dedication to improving the well-being of children and youth in Calgary and across Canada.
Robin’s efforts to raise funds and awareness for the Helpline for children in Alberta during its launch played a key role in its growth and reach in the province and other regions of the country. Her energetic leadership led to the initial launch of the Bell Walk for Kids, a major fundraiser for the children’s charity that helped her get on a solid financial footing in the early 2000s.
“If you look at the Children’s Helpline today, you’ll get an idea of the impact they have on Canadian children. She was instrumental in getting it off the ground,” Ian said.
At different times, she was president of the Calgary branch and of the national board during her 15 years working with the charity.
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Kids Help Phone has been an important part of the federal and provincial government’s response to the ongoing mental health crisis among Canadian children and youth. At the start of the pandemic, the federal government announced a $7.5 million investment in the national nonprofit.
Robin also worked closely with the Children’s Hospital Aid Society to raise funds for Alberta Children’s Hospital and other youth health services, and with the Junior League to promote volunteerism and train new volunteers.
“She was just doing things and doing things quietly. She had great respect from our friends and those who knew her for everything she did for Calgary and Canada,” said Ian.
One of Robin’s children, Jamie Beddis, said her mother passed on her generosity and passion for volunteering to her children and grandchildren.
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“She would get us involved, sell raffle tickets or help us in one way or another,” Jamie said. “For me and my brothers, she was always a great confidant for us. Someone we could talk to and she would help us or guide us and try to point us in the right direction.”
She said that she was a proud mother and grandmother, affectionately called Nene by her grandchildren.
Jamie recalls how involved Robin was in the volunteer work for the 1988 Winter Olympics as well, and how respected she was by her fellow volunteers. She remembers a bartender who made him and her siblings a Cherry Grenadine Coke as they strolled through the Saddledome as she welcomed the event’s corporate sponsors.
Robin battled cervical cancer for three years, beating it once before it spread to her lungs, lymph nodes and abdomen. She died peacefully surrounded by her family in Calgary.
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Twitter: @BabychStephanie
