The Askew name is almost synonymous with Salmon Arm. Dorothy Askew was the wife of Lloyd Askew, whose family were pioneers of sorts in the area. Lloyd’s father opened a meat market operation in Salmon Arm in 1931. The company grew into the present day Askews Foods with modern stores in Salmon Arm, Sicamous and Armstrong.

Dorothy Askew was a Revelstoke girl who studied and became a Registered Nurse graduate of the Kamloops hospital. She came to practice her profession in Salmon Arm. She soon met and married Lloyd and became the mother and guardian of their young family.

The Askews had remarkable community spirit and truly believed in giving back to the community. Supported by his wife and family, Lloyd served on many community committees including the Board of the Hospital and the Downtown Improvement Association.
The family have been and continue to be generous supporters and the Shuswap Hospital Foundation is proud to recognize them through Dorothy’s estate as Founders of the Hospital Foundation.

Catherine Ann Dilworth was a very long time resident of the area, born in Kamloops in 1905. Her parents, both British emigrants, met in Canada, and had settled in the Shuswap in the very early 1900’s.

Catherine, one of three children, followed in her mother’s footsteps of wanting to help people. Though her mother was a dedicated school teacher Catherine chose nursing as her way. In 1929 she graduated with honours as a Registered Nurse from the Kamloops Hospital Academy of Nursing. She began her practice at the Kamloops Hospital and then later moved to care for patients at the B.C. Tranquille Sanatorium for Consumptive Patients just outside of Kamloops.

In due course Catherine broadened her horizons and nursed for several years in Vancouver and then moved on to San Francisco, California where she worked until 1960 when she retired and returned to Sorrento to care for her ninety year old mother.

Catherine was a member of St Mary’s Women’s Guild and was appreciated as being so soft spoken. Catherine lived to see a full century as she passed away as a resident at Bastion Place in 2005. Being very philanthropically minded, Catherine left a substantial estate to be handled by the Sorrento Lions Club with the understanding that they would know best what to do with it. The Shuswap Hospital Foundation were very pleased to recognize Catherine Dilworth and the Sorrento Lions as Founders of the Foundation