Our First Donation: Then and Now

“He would be very pleased that the Foundation was still ongoing, and that people were still donating money.” – Peggy DeWare

Our very first donation dates back to 1965, when it was generously made by The Moncton Hospital Nurses’ Auxiliary. A newspaper photo from that time captures a special moment: Auxiliary President Ruby Watling, RN, presenting the donation to Ralph Belyea, the inaugural Chairman of the Friends Foundation Board.

This year, we had the privilege of speaking with Peggy DeWare, Ralph’s daughter, and Deb Watling, Ruby’s daughter, to reflect on that meaningful photograph. Our conversation centered around the deep commitment both Ralph and Ruby shared for their community and The Moncton Hospital.

Ralph Belyea was born and raised in Moncton, where his roots ran deep. His father, a pharmacist, owned and operated the Corner Drugstore—a well known fixture in the community. Inspired by his father’s path, Ralph pursued studies at Acadia and Dalhousie Universities, earning a degree in Pharmacy. Shortly after completinghis education, Ralph’s father passed
away, and he returned home to take over the family business.

Peggy talked about how Ralph first got involved with The Moncton Hospital. “Dad was on the board of the hospital in 1961 and served two years before he was nominated as Chairman of the hospital board.”

During his time as the Chairman of the hospital board, there were discussions of people wanting to donate money and leave trusts to the hospital.

“They discussed what would be the best way to receive the donations and manage them so that the hospital could get the things it needed most. They would need a committee or a Foundation, which is what they eventually started.” – Peggy Deware

When talking about what Ralph would think of the Foundation today, Peggy said, “He would be very pleased that the Foundation was still ongoing, and that people were still donating money. He would be thrilled.”

Peggy shared that when looking through some of the newspaper clippings and photos of her father, the same group of citizens seemed to be volunteering their time.

“Back then, Moncton was not a big city. When looking back at the pictures, it is the same group of citizens that gave of their time to make Moncton a better place to live.”

Peggy finished off our discussion by emphasizing how honoured Ralph was to give time to The Moncton Hospital. “He was proud of the things he accomplished during his tenure.”

Ruby Watling was born and raised in Kouchibouguac, New Brunswick. As a child she helped care for her grandmother, who lived with her family. Her daughter, Deb, suspects that this might have played a part in why she decided to go into nursing.

In 1953, Ruby graduated from The Moncton Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation, she began working at The Moncton Hospital, which was located on King Street at the time.

Within a few weeks of her graduation, the new hospital on MacBeath Avenue opened, and she worked the first night.

Ruby remained at The Moncton Hospital until her retirement in 1985.

“Mom started her career in Labour & Delivery and Maternity. She moved to several different departments and was eventually a nurse supervisor,” explained Deb Watling.

Deb talks about the care her mother was known for giving, saying, “She loved bedside nursing. I’ve been impressed going through some of her papers and reading the writeups and praise she got for bedside nursing.”

Deb shared that her mother served two terms as the President of the Nurses’ Auxiliary. “The nurses were all faithful supporters of the Auxiliary, and when they finished nursing, they often got involved with the Retired Nurses Association,” Deb said.

When asked about her mother’s support for the Friends Foundation, Deb said, “She was very committed to supporting the hospital having worked there, but also having been a patient there. She was committed to improving health care.”

Deb shared that her parents even encouraged her to consider supporting The Moncton Hospital.

“She always said, every little bit counts. When I was looking at where I wanted to donate, my parents challenged me to consider the hospital,” Deb shared. “If you don’t need to use the hospital services yourself, you can probably find someone you know in the community who has used the services.”

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Published July 21st, 2025