Volunteer Earl Westman is a familiar face at the Birchmount campus.

Earl Westman likes to refer to himself with a bit of self-deprecating humour, but he’s not fooling anyone who knows him. 

“I’m a jack of all trades, master of none,” he jokes. Though with a volunteer resume as impressive as his, most believe he’s master of many.

“I’ve done many jobs here,” says the 88-year-old, who has been volunteering at the Birchmount campus of The Scarborough Hospital for the past 24 years. “It all started in the mailroom where I would sort the mail three times daily. It’s how I got to know the staff so well so quickly.” 

From there he went on to a job that all staff, patients and visitors who walk the halls appreciate every day.

“I make all the signs here—unit signage, directional signs, labels on doors in different languages. Most are made out of a clear plastic material.” His role has changed significantly over the years and he is proud of what it has become. 

“Signage was done by the maintenance department many years ago and I would help a little on my wee tiny typewriter,” he says. “For my 80th birthday they surprised me with a big printer, and I’ve been using it ever since.”

In 1999, Earl was awarded a plaque from the Board Chair for donating his time coordinating the Scarborough Town Centre Fountain Fundraising venture—an initiative that raised $50,000 that year.

He proudly shares the two albums he created with photos of his memorable moments at the hospital. Many of his fondest memories involve experiences he lived through with his wife, who was also a volunteer at the hospital for a decade before her death last year. They adopted one family with whom they shared a remarkable journey after the daughter underwent lifesaving surgery more than 20 years ago.

Earl continues to be an active member of many volunteer ventures, and supports the annual Bazaar by making bowties from materials ranging from women’s brooches to shells from the beaches of Barbados.

“Volunteering keeps me young,” he says, “and volunteering at the hospital gets better every day.”