University professor.
Born at Omaha, Nebraska in 1936, during her career with the Manitoba provincial government, she was instrumental in the establishment of the Manitoba Home Care, Pharmacare and Support Services to Seniors Programmes and in extending provincially insured services to include personal care homes. She initiated and has maintained the Aging in Manitoba (AIM) longitudinal study which, thirty years later, continued to be a valued resource for researchers worldwide. As a Professor and Senior Scholar in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, she acted as a mentor and advisor to future researchers in the field of aging while also contributing her knowledge and expertise to seniors, policy makers and colleagues. Her talents were also shared with the Girl Guides of Canada and the University Women’s Club.
As a pioneer in the study of aging, Betty was the recipient of many honours recognizing her immeasurable contributions, the most recent being the Order of Canada on 18 February 2005. Among other numerous distinctions were the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation Award, the Manitoba Science and Technology Certificate of Achievement, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal awarded by the Canadian Association on Gerontology, and the YWCA Woman of the Year Award (1984).
She died at Winnipeg on 1 March 2005.
“The Bay congratulates the following winners,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 May 1984, page 30.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 5 March 2005.
Betty J. Havens, Nebraska Press Association.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 6 December 2024
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
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