Marian Fowler’s legacy gift ensures future students get the Trinity experience
Oct 23, 2025
Photo by Polina Teif
Marian Fowler (BA 1951 TRIN, MA 1965, PhD 1970) was known for her joie de vivre, vibrant energy and enduring optimism. She arrived at Trinity College in 1947 as one of just eight women in her year and lived in St. Hilda’s Residence. That small group formed close bonds, remaining friends for more than 70 years. Fowler also stayed deeply connected to Trinity, serving on the St. Hilda’s board and attending Friends of the Library meetings well into her later years.
After earning her MA and PhD in English literature at the University of Toronto, Fowler taught at York University before becoming a full-time writer. Her seven biographies and works of social history won national acclaim, including the Canadian Biography Award and a Governor General’s Award nomination for In a Gilded Cage: From Heiress to Duchess (1993).
Giving back without giving up income
Later in life, Fowler explored ways to support Trinity without compromising her retirement income. She chose to fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA), a planned giving option that offers both a stable income stream and an immediate charitable contribution.
Marian Fowler
With a CGA, a donor makes a one-time lump sum donation to a charity. The charity uses a portion of that amount to purchase a commercial annuity that pays the donor a fixed income for life. The remainder of the gift – after covering the annuity purchase – is retained by the charity and qualifies as a charitable donation, with an official tax receipt issued for that amount. Charitable gift annuities are particularly attractive to retirees, offering guaranteed income comparable to GICs, with the added benefit of supporting a cause they care about.
Marian Fowler
For Fowler, this was an ideal solution. “In later years, Marian would say with great delight that she had outlived the insurance company’s tables and was now making money from them,” says Michelle Osborne, executive director of gift planning at U of T.
Supporting Trinity students
The charitable portion of Fowler’s gift supported Trinity’s General Bursaries Fund, providing critical financial aid and helping students engage fully in university life – just as Fowler had.
She also included Trinity in her will. Upon her passing in 2020 at the age of 91, her bequest was directed toward the Lawson Centre for Sustainability – a new facility at Trinity that will include academic, residence, dining and community spaces. Fowler’s legacy will help ensure future students benefit from the close-knit Trinity experience that shaped her own life as well as new spaces that foster connection and well-being.
If you are interested in learning more, please visit the gift planning website or reach out to Michelle Osborne at michelle.osborne@utoronto.ca
