The Fancsy Family Hospital
12-8-2025
New Windsor/Essex Acute Care Hospital to be Named After Local Family Following Transformational $40 Million Estate Gift.
The New Windsor/Essex Acute Care Hospital will be named The Fancsy Family Hospital, in recognition of a transformational gift of approximately $40 million from the estate of the late John Thomas Fancsy.
The gift announcement took place today at the site of the new hospital and was attended by members of the Fancsy family, Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, local dignitaries and community leaders, along with John’s two beloved Labradors.
This donation is the largest ever received by the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation, the largest publicly known gift in the Windsor-Essex Region, and is among one the most generous known bequests ever made to a single organization in Canada.
“John’s legacy gift is an extraordinary act of generosity,” said Karen Riddell, Acting President and CEO and Chief Nursing Executive of Windsor Regional Hospital. “We are immensely grateful and deeply honoured that the new hospital will bear the Fancsy family’s name.”
John was a brilliant engineer who went on to join the family business after graduating with a degree in mathematics from the University of Guelph and a degree in engineering from the University of Windsor. As a wine connoisseur, he joined his brother Stephen to found the award-winning Viewpointe Estate Winery in Harrow. John had a passion for supporting local endeavours and was instrumental in establishing Essex County as a premier destination for wine enthusiasts.
The Fancsy 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 late mother, Antoinette (née Goyeau), came from a family whose roots date back to early French settlement in Windsor-Goyeau Street spans what was once the Goyeau family farm. She also studied nursing and worked at Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, now Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette Campus.
John’s parents, Antoinette and Steve, had a long history of quiet generosity in the community, a value they instilled in their children from a young age. Like John, Antoinette included a generous gift to the new hospital in her will, and upon her passing in 2016, she was among the first to request that donations in her memory be made to the new hospital. Guided by his parents’ selfless example, John channeled his deep passion for his community into making a meaningful and lasting impact on healthcare throughout the region.
As a life-long resident of Windsor-Essex, John was always looking for ways to help this area grow and prosper, according to his five siblings. They say his generosity is something John learned from his parents, and they are proud the new hospital will be named in their honour.
WATCH: John Fancsy’s siblings talk about their brother and what motivated him to make this gift.
“John and his family have called Windsor-Essex home for generations. It is fitting that through this extraordinary gift, his family’s legacy will continue to live on and positively impact the health of our community decades into the future,” said John Jedlinski, Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation Board Chair.
In recognition of this transformational gift, the Boards of Windsor Regional Hospital and Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation voted to name the new hospital “The Fancsy Family Hospital.” This decision is consistent with other hospital namings across the province and the approach is supported by the Government of Ontario.
“I’m deeply appreciative of the Fancsy family’s incredible generosity. This record-breaking $40 million gift from the late John Fancsy’s estate will help build The Fancsy Family Hospital and transform health care for families in Windsor-Essex for generations to come, supporting our nearly $60 billion plan to build more than 50 hospitals across the province. On behalf of the people of Ontario, I want to thank the Fancsy family for this lasting legacy,” said The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario.
While hospitals in the province are primarily paid for by the province, the local community is responsible for funding 10 percent of hospital construction costs, as well as 100 percent of the furniture, fixtures, equipment, parking and shell space. This donation – in addition to other generous gifts to the new hospital and the contributions committed by the City of Windsor and Essex County – is a critical boost towards meeting this requirement.
“This historic gift brings Windsor’s new state-of-the-art hospital one step closer to fruition and builds on our government’s investments to date to connect Windsor-Essex families to the care they need, where and when they need it. With the support of John’s significant donation and generosity, The Fancsy Family Hospital will provide world-class care to patients and families for generations to come,” said the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier of Ontario and Minister of Health.
The Fancsy Family Hospital is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform hospital services across Windsor-Essex and will be the first step in the development of a comprehensive, fully integrated health system for the region.
“This transformational gift brings the realization of The Fancsy Family Hospital one step closer to reality. We cannot thank John, and his family, enough for this selfless act of generosity,” emphasized Ian McLeod, Chair of the Windsor Regional Hospital Board.
“This extraordinary act of philanthropy is a testament to John’s vision for the community he loved so deeply. As a pivotal milestone in the realization of the new hospital, it is also a powerful demonstration of the impact of planned giving. John’s legacy gift will help ensure the health and well-being of our community for generations to come,” said Ashley Weeres, Interim Executive Director of Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation.
In addition to naming the new hospital, Windsor Regional Hospital is also embarking on a corporate renaming process to better reflect the evolution of the organization. This process will launch in the fall and will include significant community engagement.
ADDITIONAL READING: For more information about John Thomas Fancsy and the Fancsy family, visit the project website
here.
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