Nancy Steele’s life is a powerful example of commitment, professionalism and heart.
As this year’s recipient of the GuelphToday Community Builders Award for Legacy, Steele is being recognized for her decades-long contributions to health care and community in Guelph.
Through a career rooted in compassion and excellence, she has left a lasting impression on countless patients, colleagues and families.
Steele came to Guelph in 1963 to train at the Guelph General Hospital (GGH) School of Nursing.
She graduated in 1966 as a Registered Nurse and began working in the hospital’s Operating Room.
After the birth of her first child in 1969, she returned to work just six weeks later, taking on the role of overnight nurse in the Emergency Department, often as the only staff member on duty.
"GGH was her first home and our house was her second home," recalls her husband, John Steele.
As the department grew, so did her responsibilities.
Over time, she was joined by a second nurse, an orderly and a doctor, but her dependability remained constant.
Whether covering shifts, assisting on ambulance runs to Hamilton or filling in on her days off, Steele was known for her unwavering dedication and her inability to say “no” when help was needed.
"If the hospital called and they needed somebody, they'd phone her because they knew she wouldn't say no," says John.
In 1996, she transitioned to the hospital’s Outpatient and Day Surgery unit, where she worked until retiring in 2010.
Her retirement didn’t last long and she was quickly hired by the Surrey Street GI Clinic, where she continued working until 2017.
Her career spanned more than five decades.
Steele was known for holding herself and others to high standards, as she expected nurses to be punctual, prepared and respectful, especially toward patients and doctors.
For Steele, nursing wasn’t just a job, it was a calling and she treated it as such every day.
"Nancy never wanted to be the boss. She just wanted to be the person with people she would look after," John reflects.
Nancy Steele’s legacy is one of quiet leadership, integrity and care.
She led by example, mentored generations of nurses and supported patients through some of their most vulnerable moments.
Her contributions continue to shape Guelph’s health care community to this day.
"She was a fighter. There’s no two ways about it. Even when the doctors told us to get the family to the hospital when she was sick, she fooled them all and lasted four more months," he adds.
The Legacy Award is awarded posthumously to an individual who has created lasting change and measurable difference in our community through commitment and perseverance. This award pays tribute to an individual’s professional, social or cultural leadership, and vision, and his or her ongoing legacy.
This award is proudly sponsored by Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Hart Chapel.
