Weil funds in Psychiatry honour remarkable lives of two of Dal’s fondest friends

When Stella Weil passed away in 2012, Dalhousie University lost a dear friend. So did Dick Wilson.

Wilson had known Stella and her husband, Dr. Robert Weil, who had passed away before her, for many years. He was their financial advisor and helped them establish two funds at Dalhousie – the Sonja R. Weil Memorial Bursary fund in 1994 and the Dr. Robert and Stella Weil Fund in Psychiatry in July 2003.

It’s quite likely anyone who met the Weils and knew their story would truly be impressed by their warm and friendly nature. Born and raised in Czechoslovakia, they fled the country around 1939 when Nazi forces invaded, using visas secured by Robert’s uncle, a politician. The Weils had intended to go to Finland, but wound up in England, and later North Battleford in Saskatchewan by pretending to be farmers. When authorities realized they had both earned medical degrees, Dr. Weil received a temporary licence to practise medicine and they served the community of Frenchman Butte in Saskatchewan.

Inspired by returning World War II vets who were experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, Robert went on to study psychiatry in Chicago. Stella, meanwhile, had given birth to their first and only child, Sonja. In 1952, the family moved to Halifax where Robert developed a successful practice and taught residents in the psychotherapy program at Dalhousie Medical School.

Sonja would eventually follow in her father’s footsteps: after earning her Bachelor of Arts in 1964, she continued her studies, becoming a psychiatric social worker in Illinois. Yet, a road accident claimed Sonja’s life in the early 1990s, and the Weils found themselves wondering how to honour the memory of their beloved daughter. With Wilson’s help, they established a bursary in her name at Dalhousie to support students enrolled in the MSW or BSW programs at the Maritime School of Social Work.

“They wanted to do it at Dalhousie not just in memory of their daughter, but because that was the first job Robert had in the psychiatric field. It gave them great comfort to know someone would benefit from their gift.”

In 2002, Robert passed away, and Stella decided to start a new fund in his name. Wilson suggested she add her name so the whole family would have a lasting connection to Dalhousie. That fund, established in 2004, is dedicated to fostering student learning and research in the area of psychotherapy.

“Stella and her husband really loved Dalhousie and the community,” says Wilson. “They fought hard for the life they had and went through great tragedies, but they came out on top, were optimistic and always found ways to make things better.  Through these funds, they’re continuing to do that.”