Selfless Lives, Generous Legacies

Raoul and Elisabeth Tielens may not have given their four children stern lessons about the benefits of philanthropy - but rather, generosity was something they witnessed their parents integrate into the fabric of everyday life, says Tom Tielens, one of their grown children.

“They were always, always concerned about the well-being of others,” he says.

The couple showed this compassion well into their final days when they gave generously in their matching Wills to Langley Memorial Hospital, specifically to help the hospital purchase surgical tools vital to patient health.

This generosity came as no surprise to Tom and his siblings Veronica, Marguerite and Peter, and Raoul and Elisabeth’s many grandchildren.

Raoul grew up in Meerssen, in the southern region of the Netherlands.

By 1958, they had immigrated to BC and settled in Langley, where Raoul took over the practice of Dr. A.O. Rose, Langley Memorial Hospital’s first physician; Elisabeth assisted in Raoul’s practice as a receptionist and bookkeeper for some time.

The Hospital on the Hill, the history book that chronicles the early years of Langley Memorial Hospital, cements Dr. Tielens’ reputation as a caregiver whose “sense of humour and easygoing nature made him a favourite with the staff.”

In 1965, Raoul took on the role of president of the medical staff and in 1991 he was appointed as a senior active staff member.

He stopped working in his mid-70s and passed at the age of 96 in 2020. Elisabeth passed away a year later, at the age of 87.

In their Wills, generous donations were directed to Langley Memorial Hospital for surgical equipment, with some directed to the Langley Hospice Society.

“Throughout my life, I noticed that generosity was part of their nature,” Tom recalls. “I couldn’t have asked for better parents.”