Joyce Folbigg Memorial Graduate Scholarship in Theatre, Music & Environmental Studies
Joyce Folbigg was an only child who lived in her Oak Bay home with her parents, Norman Nimrod Folbigg and Violet May Folbigg (nee Hill). They met in England where Norman was recuperating from war wounds, for which he received the Military Medal for bravery in the field. After relocating in Canada, he worked to support his wife and daughter until his untimely death. Joyce had a lifelong career with the provincial government in various ministries, until her retirement.
Joyce has many wonderful memories of sports (especially badminton), hiking (more than 70 years a member of the Outdoor Club of Victoria) and world-wide travel (including trips to Mexico, Hawaii, Thailand, United States, Central America, South America, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, Chile, the Easter Islands, and Great Britain. She has travelled in every province of Canada, and has been river rafting as well – a definite highlight.
Joyce was also a dedicated member of the Vancouver Island Trails Information Society, and assisted in the publication and revision of 3 books of local trails. She is also a long-time patron of UVic’s Phoenix Theatre and was the first donor to give a large gift for the new sound system to replace the original, 30-year-old and very outdated one.
A true philanthropist, Joyce considers her life a wonderful blessing, and through many charitable organizations is doing all she can to spread that blessing, especially to students who have so much potential to make a difference – whether in protecting our precious environment, giving the gift of music or theatre to future audiences, or to help to build world peace.
“I don’t consider myself an unusual person, I have just been extraordinarily lucky to have lived the life I have. I hope others can be as lucky.”