The Fancsy Family Hospital
The Fancsy Family Hospital, formerly known as the New Windsor/Essex Acute Care Hospital, will be a state-of-the-art treatment and healing environment, a supportive workplace with the latest technologies to provide the most efficient and highest quality care, promote well-being and deliver timely, patient and family-centred care for generations to come.
To recognize and celebrate a transformational gift of approximately $40 million from the late John Fancsy, the New Windsor/Essex Acute Care Hospital will be named The Fancsy Family Hospital.
The gift is not only the largest in the history of the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation but is also the largest known gift in the Windsor-Essex Region and is one of the top 10 bequests ever made to a single organization in Canada.
About the Donor and his family
John and his family have deep roots in Windsor-Essex and have made major contributions to the success of the region.
John Thomas Fancsy was born and raised in Windsor and lived near Harrow. He attended Vincent Massey Secondary School and graduated with degrees in mathematics from the University of Guelph and engineering from the University of Windsor.
John was a key member of the engineering team at the family business, auto parts manufacturer NARMCO. He was responsible for introducing innovations and advanced manufacturing at plants in Windsor and Guelph.
In 2002, John joined his older brother Stephen, who was already in the wine industry, to found the award-winning Viewpointe Estate Winery.
Together, they led the successful campaign for an appellation – Lake Erie North Shore – to distinguish local wines and expand the industry.
John's commitment to the Windsor-Essex area was shared by the entire family.
John's family has deep ties to Windsor-Essex and played a vital role in shaping the local automotive sector. John's grandfather, Stephen Fancsy, co-founded major auto parts manufacturing companies, actively growing the sector and employing thousands of people locally.
John's father, also named Stephen, as president of the family business, oversaw its growth. He was a hands-on leader known for connecting with the workers and friends on the shop floor. He also provided vital funding to local businesses, helping to fuel growth and create thousands of local jobs.
John's mother, born Antoinette Goyeau, was a member of the family for whom the Goyeau Street in Windsor is named. Mrs. Fancsy worked as a nurse at Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, now Windsor Regional Hospital's Ouellette Campus.
John's late parents donated generously to support local health care and hospitals. His mother also left a gift to the new hospital in her will and asked that donations be made to the hospital upon her passing in 2016.
John made the decision to include the new hospital in his will before he underwent surgery for spinal stenosis at Windsor Regional Hospital's Ouellette Campus.
His recovery in hospital confirmed his decision, when he experienced firsthand the limitations of the current facility, including tight, crowded spaces, shared patient rooms and limited privacy. John saw an opportunity for a new hospital with private rooms and modern amenities to better meet the community's needs.
John Thomas Fancsy passed away suddenly in 2024 at the age of 65.
The donation and new hospital name were officially announced on August 12th at the site of the new hospital. The announcement was attended by members of the Fancsy family, campaign donors, hospital and foundation leadership, local dignitaries, the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Health and John's two beloved Labradors, CT and KT. Read the news release
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To learn more about John and his legacy, watch this video:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Along with government funding, philanthropic donations are a key way that hospital foundations in Ontario and around the world secure the necessary capital to fund major upgrades and development.
To help hospitals secure donations, the Government of Ontario does not require approval from the Minister of Health to approve a name if certain conditions are met.
Among those conditions is that the amount of the donation must correspond with the value of that asset.
The Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) has complied with all provincial requirements for naming the hospital and, given the historic size of the gift, the largest in the history of the WRH Foundation and Windsor-Essex, approved The Fancsy Family Hospital as the new hospital's name.
Recognizing John's historic gift in this way acknowledges the significant role philanthropy plays in ensuring the best health care is available to Windsor-Essex residents and that others are motivated to give in support of the new acute care hospital.
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Yes, it is common for Ontario hospitals to be named in recognition of significant philanthropic donation. For example:
- Michael Garron Hospital (formerly Toronto East General Hospital) was renamed after a $50 million donation by Berna and Myron Garron in memory of their son.
- Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital (formerly Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital under Mackenzie Health) was renamed after a $40 million donation from the Cortellucci family, the largest single donation in the history of Mackenzie Health.
- The Marotta Family Hospital (formerly St. Catharines site of Niagara Health) was renamed after a $15 million donation form the family.
- Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital (formerly Bridgepoint Active Healthcare) was renamed after a $36 million gift from Jay and Barbara Hennick.
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The name will be used for the natural life of the hospital site, which is approximately 50 years after it opens.
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Under Government of Ontario policies, adopting a new name “should be made where the level of philanthropy corresponds with the value of that asset.”
The WRH Board of Directors and the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation made a decision based on the $40 million donation from the late Mr. Fancsy and additional donations from members of the Fancsy Family.
The gift marks the most significant contribution every made to an organization in our region.
This exceptional act of generosity may spark a ripple effect, encouraging others to give. Should another record-breaking gift come forward, the WRH Foundation will collaborate closely with the donor to find a meaningful way to honour their extraordinary support.
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In addition to naming a building, there are numerous other naming opportunities, including the following examples.
- The Solcz Family Foundation made a generous $15 million gift to the new hospital in 2024. In recognition of this exceptional gift, the Family Birthing and Paediatric CareCentre, as well as the Paediatric Emergency Zone, located within the Emergency Department, will be named after the Solczs Family Foundation. (Learn more)
- Dr. Tony Pattinson, a retired OB-GYN and former WRH department chief and his wife Mary, a retired emergency nurse, made a $1.5 million gift in 2025 for equipment and technology at the new hospital. In recognition of this gift, an Operative Birthing Suite in the New Fancsy Family Hospital will be named the Dr. Tony and Mary Pattinson Operative Birthing Suite. (Learn more)
If you are interested in learning more about naming opportunities at The Fancsy Family Hospital, please contact Ashley Weeres, Interim Executive Director of the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation, at 519.254.5577 ext. 52151 or Ashley.Weeres@wrh.on.ca.
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Windsor Regional Hospital has grown and evolved, and the current organization name – Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) - and brand no longer fully reflect the services we provide, the people we serve, or the role we play in the health system.
As a result, WRH is embarking on a corporate renaming and rebranding process, which will include significant engagement with internal and external audiences.
A new brand will include a new name for our organization, a new modern logo and possibly new brand colours. This will be applied gradually across our existing sites and will be central to our new acute care hospital.
Throughout this process, we will engage staff, professional staff, volunteers, patients, their families, partners and our valued community to ensure the new brand reflects our growing hospital organization and the community it serves. There will be many opportunities for you to have your say in what the future name and brand should be.
We are currently at the beginning of a year-long process that will unfold over the coming months. We look forward to providing updates and engaging you as we redefine our health care system.
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