When Aileen McPhail was born in 1931, her father, Martin Charles McPhail (1902-1971), was 29, and her mother, Martha Irene (née Mulvale) (1903-1985), was 28.
She had four brothers and one sister.
Aileen McPhail didn’t marry, but her life was fairly full: she was both an Associate Professor in Nursing at McMaster University in Hamilton and Director of Nursing Services at Chedoke-McMaster Hospital. Aileen was instrumental in the creation of the hospital’s non-resuscitation policy and has been described as a fierce defender of nurses.
Aileen McPhail died on March 30, 1988, and is buried in Holy Sepulchre cemetery. Her obituary from the Hamilton Spectator below:
The Aileen McPhail Memorial Prize was established in 1989 in memory of Aileen McPhail, by her family and friends. The prize is awarded annually by the School of Graduate Studies to a worthy student who holds the RN.
Main image: Aileen McPhail
