Jocelyn Whalen was one of a kind. Her pharmacy class remembers her with a bursary

May 24, 2022
Jocelyn Whalen smiling, standing on a lawn covered in autumn leaves.

In March of 2022, U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy lost a valued member of the alumni community, Jocelyn Whalen (BScP 1983).

A dedicated community pharmacist for over 39 years, Jocelyn (Swatman) Whalen was one of a kind. A proud member of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Class of 8T3, she was treasured friend, beloved classmate and respected colleague who owned and operated the Sharbot Lake Pharmasave from 1991 until 2017.

After retirement, Jocelyn continued working part-time to support the members of her community until December 2021, when a sudden illness forced her to stop. She passed away on March 30, 2022 leaving a legacy as a compassionate and skilled care provider and community leader.

Kind, considerate and humble, Jocelyn was a true humanitarian and demonstrated a tireless commitment to the profession, to her community, and most importantly, to her patients.

Within the first eight weeks of their fundraising efforts, the group exceeded their goal by $5,000.

Jocelyn modelled what every pharmacist aspires to be. Her generosity of time, energy and resources have left a lasting impact on the community she selflessly served, providing patient-centered care to all.

Within the first eight weeks of their fundraising efforts, the group exceeded their goal by $5,000.

To recognize Jocelyn’s service to her patients and the profession, Jocelyn’s classmates along with her friends and family decided to create a new endowed bursary to support undergraduate students in financial need.

Led by a fundraising committee of Jane Mulvihill (BScP 1983) and Kathryn (Kitty) Kerr (BScP 1984), Jocelyn’s loved ones set out to raise $25,000 to establish The Jocelyn Whalen Award.

Within the first eight weeks of their fundraising efforts, the group exceeded their goal by raising over $30,000 in pledges for The Jocelyn Whalen Award.

The Jocelyn Whalen Award supports the pharmacists of the future

When asked about their friendship and their drive to lead the effort, Jane and Kitty said “We both have known Jocelyn since our first day at the Faculty of Pharmacy in 1979. Upon hearing the tragic news of her terminal illness in January 2022, we wanted to create this award as a lasting legacy to her, especially when we heard how this news devastated the community of Sharbot Lake where she and her husband Nick were pillars of the community.”

Jocelyn and Nick Whalen smile as they stand together at a street fair.

Jocelyn and Nick Whalen

Newly established, the award will support undergraduate students in any year, who demonstrate financial need at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

Jocelyn and Nick Whalen smile as they stand together at a street fair.

Jocelyn and Nick Whalen

“Jocelyn was the epitome of professionalism and a true humanitarian. She was heartened to know that this award would provide financial aid to students in need. This type of effort was always important to her, and in fact she lead a committee within the Kingston and Area Pharmacists Association, which awarded local pharmacy students with a bursary,” both Jane and Kitty said.

The Jocelyn Whalen Award will have an enduring impact on generations of students and the pharmacy profession. The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is proud to honour Jocelyn’s legacy and congratulates the committee and the Class of 8T3 for this amazing initiative.

Pay tribute to Jocelyn Whalen’s memory by donating to her bursary and support deserving students.

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By Suryana Thappa

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