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Lillian Aldous's career reflected her personality: dynamic, ambitious, caring. From nursing student in Ontario, Canada, to public health nurse in Santa Clara County, Lillian approached her profession as she approached life—with verve and enthusiasm.
Fittingly, Lillian's 1985 retirement party celebrated both her career and her character. As her husband, Dudley, recalls, colleagues and friends adorned each table at the party with different-colored decorations—green accents to convey her "growth" as a woman and nurse, yellow hues to capture her ability to laugh at herself, and white to symbolize her honesty.
This was an apt tribute to Lillian's remarkable 45-year career, which included prestigious administrative posts such as assistant director of public health nursing for Santa Clara County and director of public health nursing for the City of San Jose.
Now, to honor his late wife, Dudley has given $600,000 to establish the Lillian and Dudley Aldous Endowed Chair in Nursing at UCSF. The largest outright gift from an individual in the School of Nursing's history, this endowment will bolster nursing education and clinical care within the School.
"It's exactly what Lillian would have wanted," explains Dudley, a New Zealand native who met her while attending college at the University of Western Ontario in the 1940s. "Having benefited from excellent nursing instruction, Lillian recognized the importance of supporting educational programs."
After marrying in 1950, the couple moved to San Jose, where Lillian became director of nursing at San Jose Hospital, a teaching hospital, and Dudley pursued a career in engineering. In the years that followed, Lillian obtained a master of science in nursing from UCSF and a master of public health administration from UC Berkeley.
Lillian managed to balance her workdays with a busy personal life. An avid painter and art lover, she volunteered for years at Santa Cruz's Museum of Art and History and enjoyed gardening, sewing, and quilting. Many of the couple's fondest memories, however, were made en route to exotic locales such as Thailand, Russia, the Mediterranean, and the African Serengeti. "We loved to get on a ship and go," Dudley remembers.
"Coming on the eve of our Centennial celebration, this endowment truly marks a milestone for the UCSF School of Nursing," says Dean Kathy Dracup, RN, FNP, DNSc, FAAN. "The Aldouses' generosity will have a lasting impact on the School, fostering exceptional nursing education and clinical care for years to come."
To support the UCSF School of Nursing, contact Mark Boone at 415/502-8310 or mboone@support.ucsf.edu.
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