In Memoriam: Dorothy Barbara Goldring (1931-2022)

Jun 6, 2022

Barbara Goldring, a keen volunteer and passionate philanthropist, passed away on May 16 at the age of 90. She leaves a legacy of generous support for higher education, and the University of Toronto joins her friends and family in honouring her profound impact and mourning her passing.

“Barbara Goldring was a warm and gregarious friend to many. Always interested in humanity, she made contributing to her community a central pillar of a life well lived,” said Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto. “The far-reaching support she and her family extended to U of T has been very much in that spirit. Their generosity has allowed students to enjoy a fully engaged education, helped researchers to improve our collective health, and enabled scholars to explore Canada’s economy, politics, geography, and its place in the world. Indeed, Barbara’s kindness and community-mindedness will always remind us of Canadian values at their best. I would like to extend my deepest condolences, and those of the entire U of T community, to Barbara’s children, her wider family, and her many friends.”

A legacy of support for students—and for sharing Canadian successes

Barbara Goldring, her husband Warren (d. 2009), and their family have always been exceptionally generous to the University of Toronto, and their support has strengthened three important areas. In 2006, they donated $11 million to the Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sport at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

The research, sport, and educational opportunities offered in the Goldring Centre are having tremendous, valuable impacts.

“The generosity of Mrs. Goldring and her family has made a tremendous difference to the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education,” said Dean Gretchen Kerr. “The Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sport is more than an award-winning athletic facility—it is also a key support in our efforts to generate and share knowledge about the value of physical activity for physical, mental, emotional and societal health. The research, sport, and educational opportunities offered to students and the wider community in the Goldring Centre are having tremendous, valuable impacts.”

The research, sport, and educational opportunities offered in the Goldring Centre are having tremendous, valuable impacts.

In addition, the family’s $4-million contribution to the Goldring Student Centre at U of T’s Victoria College has proved vital to engaging commuter students in university life.

Victoria College has always appreciated the involvement and generosity of Mrs. Goldring and the Goldring family.

The Goldring Student Centre at Victoria College: a long, low building with a patio cafe in a sunken garden.

“Victoria College has always appreciated the involvement and generosity of Mrs. Goldring and the Goldring family,” said William Robins, President, Victoria University. “It means a great deal to students to know they have the support of those who came before them, and who understand the power of an engaged and friendly community to help them blossom. The Goldring Student Centre is an important support for ambitious and eager young people at a pivotal time in their life.”

And the family’s generous gift endowed the Goldring Chair in Canadian Studies, which is held by U of T President and geography professor Meric Gertler. Prof. Gertler’s research on the role of city-regions as sites of innovation in the global economy has had a major impact on governments in Canada and around the world and has inspired robust research programs at U of T’s School of Cities and its University of Toronto School of Cities Alliance in India.

“The Goldring family’s support for Canadian Studies strengthened a wonderful research and teaching hub,” said Markus Stock, Principal, University College. “Our Canadianist scholars lead a vibrant research program, teach meaningful context to our upcoming generation, and put knowledge into practice through inclusive community engagement. Such impact takes a supportive community, and we will always be grateful to the Goldring family for championing Canadian Studies.”

Victoria College has always appreciated the involvement and generosity of Mrs. Goldring and the Goldring family.

Barbara Goldring was a nurse, a mother, and a lover of community who touched countless lives

Born Dorothy Barbara Dowd in Montreal, Barbara Goldring grew up in the city. After training as a nurse, she worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital, rising to Head Nurse. She married C. Warren Goldring, then an economics student, in 1953 after they met on a ski trip, and the couple had five children. The family settled in Toronto, where Warren co-founded the investment firm AGF Management, helping kick-start Canada’s mutual fund industry.

A lifelong volunteer as well as a philanthropist, Barbara Goldring supported a wide range of organizations, from the March of Dimes and the Canadian Nurses Foundation to Ontario Heritage Trust and the Monarchist League of Canada. Her honours include the Monarchist League’s Silver Badge of Service and the Government of Canada’s Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal.

There’s no counting how many lives she brightened just through striking up a conversation, and her legacy will continue to brighten lives for generations to come.

“Barbara Goldring will be truly missed,” said David Palmer, U of T’s Vice-President, Advancement. “She liked people—there’s no counting how many lives she brightened just through striking up a conversation. She also gave of her time and her prosperity to the communities around her, and that legacy will continue to brighten lives for years and generations to come.”

There’s no counting how many lives she brightened just through striking up a conversation, and her legacy will continue to brighten lives for generations to come.