Giving Matters
Click on the titles below to go to this issue's stories on philanthropy.
Leaving a Legacy of Love
By Krista Keough
Wedding photo of Mardelle Woods and Stephen Telfer
Mardelle Woods' new book titled Just Breathe: Unraveling the Many Layers of Chronic Pain
The Stephen D. Telfer Memorial Bursary has been proudly supporting varsity football student-athletes for nearly four decades, making it the longest-standing bursary at Saint Mary’s. The story behind how this living legacy came to be is one of profound tragedy and triumph.
Mardelle Woods writes about her late husband and former Husky football player Stephen Telfer, and their life together in her new book Just Breathe: Unraveling the Many Layers of Chronic Pain. As an acclaimed former Husky football player, Stephen’s 1973 Huskies Football team was inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sport Hall of Fame in 1998. After graduating, he was drafted to the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes, then played for the Toronto Argonauts before a knee injury forced him into retirement.
Stephen remained in Toronto and built a successful career as an executive in senior sales when he was introduced to Mardelle by chance at a local pub. “I was simply there to drive some friends home,” she says. “It was like kismet. It was a very powerful connection immediately.”
In a city of over one million people, the two were living and working in the same buildings but had never crossed paths. Stephen asked for her phone number that night, and within six months, they were engaged. They tied the knot on September 14, 1985.
“He was quite the catch,” says Mardelle. “Intelligent, charming, kind, soft-hearted. He was a good, wholesome man on every level. Everybody loved him.”
Only weeks after their second wedding anniversary, their world turned upside down. “We were having a wonderful dinner because he got another promotion at work. On our walk home, a taxi came out of a side street, speeding and didn’t see us.” By all witness accounts, Stephen tried to throw Mardelle out of harm’s way. “Rather than saving himself, he chose to save me instead.”
She survived with catastrophic injuries. She spent months in the hospital, at times on life support, and was told she might never walk again. “It was very sad, very tragic for everybody. Both of our families were torn and suffering. It was such a dark, dark time for all of us. I had nothing left.”
From within the darkness, Mardelle saw a light. “Because Stephen and I did not have children, and we wanted to have them so desperately, I thought, I have to do something in his name and his memory. I have to.”
With support from family, friends and alumni, she organized a Huskies invitational golf event and raised close to $20,000. With corporate and private donations added to her personal contribution, the bursary was born.
Once she was back home, Mardelle endured a decades-long road to recovery, marked by painful rehabilitation. She remarried and had three children, two daughters and a son. “I just poured my whole life into my family,” she says. After her second marriage ended, she raised her children as a single mother while managing her disability.
Mardelle had a profound realization on her healing journey. “When we have something wrong with our bodies, we go to a medical doctor; if something is wrong with our minds, we go to a therapist; if something is wrong with our spirit, we go to nature or to clergy; but they don't get together and heal the whole person.”
In December 2025, she published her debut, Just Breathe: Unraveling the Many Layers of Chronic Pain, sharing the story of that fateful night, the loss of the love of her life and the life they had imagined, and her journey through the many layers of pain. It took her 15 years to find the clarity and courage to bring the book to life.
As written in her press release, “Just Breathe speaks directly to the millions who have experienced devastating loss, faced obstacles that seemed impossible to overcome, or lived day after day within a body that feels like both a prison and a battleground.”
Mardelle Woods
Today, Mardelle devotes her time to caring for others, assisting seniors with neurological conditions and those in palliative care. She focuses on healing people’s relationships, releasing their inner fears and celebrating the lives they have lived.
She enjoys a quieter life near Lake Ontario and the Port Credit River, both within walking distance and often spends time outdoors with her two-year-old Jack Russell, Haylee. With three grandchildren under the age of five, she says life feels very blessed.
“All of this is my legacy, but I wanted to make sure that Stephen has his name live on, too. That’s why the bursary is so important to me—to make sure that it continues.”
“It’s a gift of love,” she says, and one she plans to keep giving.
Funding a Sustainable Future
By Renée Hartleib
Bill Linton BComm'75 DComm'22 and wife Marilynne Day-Linton with their four grandchildren
Bill Linton BComm’75 DComm’22, addressing convocation after receiving a Doctor of Commerce, honoris causa
When Bill Linton BComm’75 DComm’22 attended Saint Mary’s back in the early seventies, he didn’t have the dreamy university experience that so many reflect on and reminisce about. “I was one of the youngest and shortest guys in my year, I wasn’t allowed to legally drink and I couldn’t even get a fake ID because I looked about 12,” he says, laughing. But his relationship with the university didn’t end there—it would continue to take shape over time, in ways that feel especially meaningful today.
After graduating, his path took him to Toronto, where new experiences and opportunities began to unfold.
What Bill may have missed out on in Halifax, he soon made up for in Toronto, where he began studying to become a chartered accountant. “That’s where I met great friends and did all the crazy things that you're supposed to do in university.”
It’s also where he began working for Ted Rogers before anyone knew who Ted Rogers was. Over the next 30 years, Bill witnessed the massive changes in the telecommunications business and worked his way up to Executive Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Rogers Communications Inc.
Bill retired at age 55 and has spent the last 15 years keeping his mind and body active, avidly learning and immersing himself in passion projects. He serves on the Board of Directors of Empire Company Limited (parent company of Sobeys Inc.), TMX Group Limited and several private companies. It was through the Sobey family that he was reintroduced to Saint Mary’s. He admired their support of the university’s business school and saw it as a powerful example of meaningful, forward-looking philanthropy.
As a committed philanthropist himself, Bill has a particular interest in understanding the impacts of the climate crisis and its relationship to business—both as a contributor to the problem and as a critical lever for change. Over the past several years, he has dedicated significant time to researching sustainability initiatives and engaging with experts in alternative energy and sustainable business practices.
This growing focus has shaped how Bill defines sustainability. Of the many interpretations, the one that resonates most with him is: “meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.” With four grandchildren under the age of four, that definition carries personal urgency. He is deeply committed to helping reshape the way business is conducted, now and into the future, and to ensuring that today’s students (and tomorrow’s leaders) are equipped with a strong foundation in sustainability and its application in the business world.
It’s this idea that is behind the Linton Family Sustainability in Business Trust, created by Bill and his wife, Marilynne Day-Linton, in 2022. Their generous gift has made it possible for the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s to hire a curriculum developer to create new courses and rewrite existing courses, all with sustainability as the focus. Every student in the Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) program is now required to take these sustainability courses as part of their degree, with the option of achieving a Certificate in Sustainability Business.
Student participating in sustainability research on campus
Margaret McKee PHD'08, Associate Dean, Strategy, Community Engagement and Accreditation.
In addition, and thanks to the Linton gift, students and faculty of Saint Mary’s have also had the opportunity to attend sustainability conferences, participate in case competitions and hear from powerful guest speakers, such as Selwyn Crittendon, the CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Canada, and Diana Fox Carney, an economist, climate policy expert and spouse of Prime Minister Mark Carney.
This September, Saint Mary’s is taking all of this one step further with a new undergraduate major in Sustainability Management that will enable BComm students to graduate with the kind of sustainability expertise that business, government, non-profits and international organizations are increasingly seeking.
“What we're hearing from our students is that they're interested in working with organizations that care about people and the planet, as well as profit,” says Dr. Margaret McKee, Associate Dean in the Sobey School of Business.
“Our new focus on sustainability education ensures our graduates will be able to meaningfully contribute to those businesses and organizations that are making a difference.”
Dr. McKee describes the collaboration with the Linton family as an exceptional opportunity for Saint Mary’s. “It’s truly been a partnership. Both sides share a deep commitment to sustainability and have worked together to co-create meaningful curriculum and hands-on learning experiences. We’re incredibly proud of these new offerings for this next generation of business and community leaders, and we feel a strong sense of optimism about the future.”
As for Bill, he believes that when companies transition to more sustainable business practices, it makes the best business sense. “Not only is it better for the environment and the people they employ and serve, but it’s also proving to be better for the bottom line.”
Rather than looking back with nostalgia about the Saint Mary’s from 50 years ago, Bill is having his peak experience now by helping future generations. “What we’re doing feels meaningful and worthwhile,” he says.
“We’re very proud of the work that the Sobey School has done in executing our gift and in placing sustainability as a meaningful pillar of its business degree.” And in that, there’s a clear sense of momentum—one that will continue to shape the next generation of students.
Saint Mary's Community Garden
Sustainability in Action: A National Recognition
Saint Mary’s has recently been awarded a Gold rating through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a national benchmark for sustainability performance in post-secondary institutions. Administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, STARS evaluates universities across a range of areas, including academics, campus operations, planning and community engagement.
This recognition reflects years of focused effort and progress. From solar installations and energy-efficient infrastructure to student-led gardens and experiential learning opportunities, sustainability is increasingly embedded across both the physical campus and the student experience.
More than a formal accolade, the STARS Gold rating signals a broader shift. It speaks to a university community actively working to align environmental responsibility with academic priorities—and to create meaningful, local impact. As that work continues, this recognition provides a strong foundation for what comes next.
The Loyola Residence tower BIPV system shown on the right, along with solar panelling on the roof of the Sobeys Inspiration Hub
Dr. Aunshul Rege honours her mentor and pays it forward
By Emily Latimer BA’17
Dr. Aunshul Rege’s BA’06 MA’08 with Dr. John Leonard McMullan
It took a cybersecurity breach to spark Dr. Aunshul Rege’s BA’06 MA’08 interest in criminology. It was around 2002, and she was a computer science grad working as a software engineer on the west coast.
As her colleagues were scrambling to figure out the cause of the breach, Aunshul had a different set of questions: “Who did it? Why did they do it? How many of them were in it together?” she recalls.
That line of inquiry was more suited to a criminologist, though cybercrime wasn’t widely discussed back then. “I didn’t even know this whole other side of the story existed. I was interested in the human side of it.”
She enrolled in Saint Mary’s criminology program in 2004, eager to learn more about the nascent field of cybercrime. “I just wanted to see: can these two different disciplines talk to each other? Can they intersect in some way?”
In the criminology program, Aunshul enjoyed two courses in particular, Corporate Crime and Surveillance and Society, both taught by Dr. John Leonard McMullan, a long-serving faculty member in the former Department of Sociology and Criminology.
Dr. McMullan graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science and held a position at Saint Mary’s beginning in 1985. “He was old school,” Aunshul says of her favourite professor. He had that quintessential professor image, with giant stacks of paperwork on his desk.
“I just thought he was the most amazing teacher. They’re all great teachers, but there was something about him. The way he delivered the material, the way he made us think about projects, the way he made us think critically about security, privacy and technology.”
As an honours student, Aunshul was required to submit a thesis, so she approached Dr. McMullan to be her mentor. “He just gave me a giant stack and said, ‘Here you go!’” He was looking into online gambling and cyber extortion, and she was to read through the stack of articles and condense them into a one-page document. “That was the beginning of that relationship.”
Dr. McMullan’s mentoring style suited her. He had tight deadlines and high expectations, but it motivated her to keep going. “He really took you under his wing. Don’t get me wrong, he was extremely challenging. He was one of the toughest professors in the department, at least back in the day. But if you gave it 100 percent, he gave it a thousand.”
Her mentor was instrumental in developing a deep love for quality research done with discipline and rigour. “Saint Mary’s was the birthplace of Aunshul the researcher,” she says. Aunshul completed her honours thesis under Dr. McMullan and went on to complete a Master of Arts in criminology. As she forged her path in academia, Aunshul kept in touch with her mentor.
Today, Aunshul is a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University in Philadelphia and the director of the university’s Cybersecurity in Application, Research & Education (CARE) lab. She now mentors students in much the same way Dr. McMullan mentored her years ago. “I really do strive to be like him. Those are big shoes to fill.”
Dr. McMullan passed away in 2017. In 2019, Aunshul established The McMullan & Rege Honours in Criminology Convocation Award to support students in their academic journey.
“This is one small way for me to say thank you to where this relationship started, not just to him, but to the department. It’s very special to me. I want to honour him and pay it forward, to keep that thirst for knowledge going and keep those students motivated, passionate and give back to a wonderful department.”
At Temple University, a photo of Dr. McMullan sits on Aunshul’s desk. When PhD and undergrad students come into her office feeling stressed out, she points to it and tells them: “I know I ask a lot of you, but I learned from the Doc,” she says with a laugh. “It’s hard, it’s challenging, but it works and we’re going to get through this.”
As Aunshul instills a love of research in her own students, Dr. McMullan is never far away.
“He’s still very much a part of me in everything I do.”
Purpose Through Generations
By Denise Daley
Rigby family photo
Mary and Doug Rigby
Robin Rigby Trust
Robin Rigby BSc’05 believed deeply in the power of communities to care for the environments that sustain them. With an inquisitive mind and outgoing personality, she was drawn to the natural world from a young age, whether organizing recycling initiatives in elementary school or walking along Lawrencetown Beach with her mother, Mary, collecting small “treasures” shaped by the sea.
That early curiosity grew into a lifelong passion for environmental research. Robin focused on coastal conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, guided by a commitment to ensuring that ecosystems and the communities that depend on them could thrive together.
When Robin passed away suddenly in December 2007 at the age of 30, her parents, Mary and Doug Rigby, were determined that her work would continue. “If you have a gift, you’re meant to share it,” says Mary.
Guided by this belief, they established the Robin Rigby Trust at Saint Mary’s to honour their daughter. “We wanted to put Robin’s inheritance into something that represented an extension of her work and passion,” says Doug.
Through the trust, the Rigbys support students and research connected to the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN), a global initiative that brings together researchers, students and communities to advance sustainable approaches to ecosystem conservation and management. The alignment between the trust and CCRN is intentional.
For 17 years, Dr. Tony Charles served as chair of the trust’s research selection committee and played a leading role in the CCRN. Both share a strong commitment to community-led research, ensuring that projects reflect the needs and priorities of the communities they serve.
“It is a great honour for Saint Mary’s and for CCRN to be entrusted with Robin’s legacy,” says Dr. Charles. “The support enables important research and education that demonstrates how coastal communities, locally and globally, can conserve ecosystems while sustaining their livelihoods.”
The impact of the trust extends beyond individual projects. It shapes how research is approached—grounded in collaboration, respect and real-world relevance—and supports students who are committed to making a difference. What began as a deeply personal tribute has grown into something lasting and far-reaching.
Robin’s presence continues to be felt in meaningful and tangible ways, including through the trust’s logo, an art piece created by local artist Tansy Rudnicki.
“We see Robin continuing to be present in all this work."
To further sustain this impact, the Rigbys also established a planned gift, ensuring that Robin’s legacy will continue to support students and research for generations to come. Their decision created more than a memorial; it built a living legacy that strengthens communities and advances environmental stewardship, both locally and globally.
In many ways, Robin’s story is a reminder that the values we carry—curiosity, care and a commitment to something bigger than ourselves—can continue to shape the world long after we’re gone.
For those who wish to create a lasting impact in an area they care deeply about, there are many ways to support Saint Mary’s through planned giving. To learn more, contact the Development Office at 1-888-768-4483, email development.office@smu.ca or visit smu.ca/giving. You may also wish to speak with your financial advisor about how to design a legacy that reflects what matters most to you.
Robin Rigby BSc’05
The 2025 Alumni Award Recipents
Top row (left to right): Bruce Bowser BA’17, Dr. Rachel Zellars, Michael Peters BComm'18 EMBA'23, Isalean Phillip BA’16 MA’19, Scott Norton Bottom row (left to right):Signa Butler BA’96, Boris Mirtchev BSc'96 MBA'99, Wendy Luther EMBA’08, Mandhir Singh MBA'14
Alumni Referral Program
Know a future SMU student? Share your Saint Mary’s University experience with the students in your life through our referral program. When a student you inspire chooses SMU, they’ll receive an exclusive welcome gift to kick off their journey—and as a thank-you, you will too. It’s a simple way to make a meaningful impact and help the next generation feel right at home from day one.
