A memorial gathering in honour of Marie Poulos will be held on the grounds of Ottawa’s Rehabilitation Centre, Ottawa General Hospital on Sunday May 15 at 2:00 pm. Marie was a speech language pathologist who worked at the Rehab Centre’s Stuttering Treatment Clinic from 1979 until she was tragically killed in a car accident in 1991. She was 36.
She was much loved and is still remembered by the hundreds of clients whose lives she touched through her work as a speech therapist. Norm McEwen who took therapy from Marie says “Marie took me from a person who was entirely dependent on others to do my speaking for me, to a person who could finally speak for himself, whether it be at home, at work, or in social circumstances. It was like I was reborn.”
Marie was also well respected by her colleagues and was well known as the co-author of “Facilitating Fluency” a manual of “Transfer Strategies for Adult Stuttering Treatment Programs.”
A tree in her memory was planted on the grounds of the Rehab Centre in 1992. The Marie Poulos Bursary Fund, which was established after her passing, provides financial assistance for Ontario residents to attend intensive and semi-intensive programs at the Stuttering Treatment Clinic which is located at the Rehab Centre, Ottawa General Hospital.
Members of OAPS sponsored s special screening in March of The King’s Speech at the Ottawa Family Cinema which raised over $1000 for the Bursary Fund. To help others obtain the fluency skills Marie Poulos gave to others, many individuals who stutter as well as speech therapists, will also be participating in this year’s Race Weekend as part of the Stuttering Treatment Clinic Team. Donations raised will also go the Marie Poulos Bursary Fund.
The memorial gathering will take place in front of the tree planted in Marie’s honour. Former clients of Marie and co-workers, as well as friends, are invited to attend. For information on the memorial contact Norm McEwen at 613-226-7001 or Tania Kamienski at 613-725-3443, or contact us through our online form.
In the event of inclement weather, the memorial will take place indoors at the Rehab Centre.