Building a Legacy Beyond the Classroom

Though she was never a student or staff member, the College became a constant presence in her world, offering a lifetime of friendships, purpose, and experiences she never could have imagined.

At the centre of that connection was her husband, Dr. Don Bailey. A respected professor and internationally recognized researcher, Don spent more than three decades as a faculty member from 1959 to 1994. He passed away in 2023, leaving behind not only a remarkable academic legacy, but a shared life filled with opportunity and adventure.

“Don was a wonderful partner,” Donna reflects. “And then you add all the experiences we could never have planned. I count my blessings every day.”

Today, Donna honours that shared journey through her continued support of the College. She is a proud contributor to the Don Bailey Lecture Series, an annual event that highlights leading-edge research while celebrating the curiosity and innovation of students. Her generosity also extends to the Dean’s Fund, which helps the College explore new ideas, build collaborations, and respond to evolving needs in health, wellness, and prevention.

“The support we’ve received from Donna has been impactful beyond words. She has created spaces of opportunity that simply would not exist without her—and Don’s—extraordinary generosity and commitment to building a lasting legacy,” said Dean of the college, Dani Brittain, PhD.

Don and Donna’s story began years earlier at Nutana Collegiate in Saskatoon. While they first knew each other in high school, it wasn’t until university that their relationship truly took shape. Don pursued studies in Physical Education, while Donna studied Home Economics. As Don prepared to leave for Ohio to complete his master’s degree, they made a life-changing decision together.

“I knew it was going to be a very long engagement,” she said with a smile.

Instead, Don and Donna married in 1957, beginning their life together with a honeymoon that doubled as a road trip to Indiana, where Don would go on to earn his PhD. Donna spent that time teaching Home Economics and general science in a small country school, laying the foundation for a partnership defined by shared ambition and support.

In 1959, they returned to Saskatoon, where Don began his long career at the university. His research, particularly in child growth and development and bone mineral density, would take him around the world. Donna was determined not to miss any of it.

“Don started travelling, and I wasn’t going to stay behind,” she says. “I heard him speak so often, I probably could have given his lectures myself.”

Their travels became a defining part of their lives. A sabbatical in 1970 took the family of five to London, England, for what Donna describes as “a wonderful adventure.”

Another adventure soon followed in California in 1978. In 1986, a guest lectureship in Perth, Australia, led to an ongoing role at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, one that continued even after Don’s retirement.

Through it all, the College remained a steady thread, connecting their personal and professional worlds. Looking back, Donna sees that connection clearly.

“My association with the College, the friendships, and the travel, it absolutely defined my life.”

Article originally published at: https://kinesiology.usask.ca