THE CIRCLE OF GIVING
L-R : Dr . David Bloom and Suzanne LaRue
The Florence & Grace Donison Bursary in Education
The impact of student awards is matched only by the powerful stories behind them — stories about the donors who had a deeply personal motivation to create them , the loved ones in whose honour they were named , and the student recipients whose lives have been changed for the better because of it . The Florence & Grace Donison Bursary in Education is no exception .
Remembering who Florence and Grace were will give a richer understanding of why the University of Regina alumnus Dr . David Bloom , who holds a Bachelor of Science degree , had a strong desire to establish the bursary in support of Education students .
Growing up in what was a Romanian ethnic enclave in Wood Mountain , Saskatchewan , Bloom ’ s grandmother Florence Precopciuc married a farmer , Constantin Donison , at age 15 , with two daughters following . Having lived through the drought-stricken years of the Dust Bowl , and during a much different time in our history when running a farm was socially deemed as “ men ’ s work ,” Florence — who had no sons to help out on the farm — resolved to come to Regina where she worked and raised her two daughters , Elaine and Grace , on her own after her husband ’ s death .
The Romanian-born woman ’ s upbringing in poverty and lack of education did not deter her from teaching herself to read , write , and improve her English fluency . Listening to the radio and reading the newspaper were lifelong routines that were integral to her learning , as well as her ability to keep a pulse on local and global events .
In her adulthood , Elaine married a cinema manager , Marcus Bloom , and over the years , they welcomed three children , Joseph , David and Moira into the world . Tragically , they lost their mother due to illness when they were young , and their grieving father passed away not long afterward , caused by what Bloom believes was “ a broken heart ."
The orphaned Bloom and his siblings were left to be raised by their grandmother and aunt Grace . The family ’ s apartment may have been small , but the love inside its walls was abundant . Bloom always held great admiration for his grandmother and aunt who co-parented him and his siblings . One memory that always comes back to him is how their primary caregivers consistently modelled a culture of reading , curiosity , and self-education in the household .
Another fond childhood memory Bloom cherishes is of the Regina Public Library ’ s bookmobile rolling into his neighborhood in Gladmer Park every Friday afternoon , and him signing out non-fiction books that fueled his passion for Canadiana , particularly French- Canadian history — a passion that was not outweighed by his ambition to become a doctor and devote his life to helping others .
Having watched his grandmother educate herself and independently become literate instilled the confidence in Bloom to chase that ambition , which led him to take his pre-med studies at the University of Regina where he double majored in Biology and Chemistry , with a minor in History . Financially disadvantaged , he was honoured to receive assistance by way of scholarships that covered his four years of tuition .
By Pablo De Lucas , UAC Development Team
The generosity of the donors who had made those scholarships possible , breaking down economic barriers to ensure students like Bloom could succeed , was met with overwhelming gratitude that endured throughout the life of the then aspiring medical doctor . These gifts also planted a seed deep within Bloom ’ s heart to one day pay it forward and help others — just as other University of Regina donors , whom he will never forget , had helped him .
Bloom went on to complete his medical degree at Queen ’ s University in Kingston , Ontario , and subsequently his studies in psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal . Although the self-declared “ prairie boy ” had planned to return to Saskatchewan and practise psychiatry , the pull to live in Quebec — the province he had spent years reading and dreaming about in his youth — would be too strong to resist .
Bloom and his wife Suzanne made their home in Montreal , where they raised their two sons . Whatever distance may separate Bloom from Regina physically is not nearly enough to separate him emotionally from his alma mater ; to this day , he remains a vital part of our university community , as well as a committed member of our donor family .
“ I view teachers as the backbone of our society and I view donors to the Faculty of Education ( among others ) as living supports for the precious work of teaching ,” says Bloom , who is in his 37th year of teaching at McGill as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine ,
L-R : Grace ( aunt ), Moira ( sister ) David , Joseph ( brother ), and Florence ( grandmother )
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