Lyn Goldman: A Life of Culture, Community, and Lasting Generosity
For many decades, Lyn Goldman gave her time, talent, and care to the cultural and community life of Regina. Her voluntary service and philanthropic contributions have been as vibrant, varied, and groundbreaking as her career.
Family has played an important role in shaping her dynamic approach. Lyn’s parents instilled a strong emphasis on education and community service. Her father, Leon, ran a men’s clothing store. Lyn’s mother, Dorothy, was also deeply philanthropic, giving generously to the Regina community through organizations such as the Regina Symphony Orchestra, Darke Hall, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, the Canadian Red Cross, and the University of Regina. Lyn was an apt student in philanthropy, and had a marvelous teacher in Dorothy.
In 2016, Lyn accepted the National Philanthropy Day’s Outstanding Philanthropist Award on behalf of the Goldman Family. The family is described as iconic in Regina as they have been everywhere in the city in terms of business, education, culture, volunteerism, and philanthropy for many, many years. In accepting the award, Lyn said, “We want to support and enhance our community and our beloved country. That’s what philanthropy means to me.” (good pull quote)
Lyn’s family provided her opportunities to find her own way to reflect the iconic Goldman reputation. When she received her University of Regina Honourary Doctor of Laws in 2015, Lyn credited her mother sending her to take elocution lessons and children’s theatre as the “luckiest move of my life”, as “when I took part in children’s theatre, on stage, I was no longer an awkward, left-handed, stammering little girl. I was graceful, confident, and could speak out.”
She did far more than speak out. She actively changed our community for the better. Throughout her career, Goldman was a vocal supporter of the arts, education, and women’s issues, and she played a key role in preserving the College Avenue Campus as a vital part of the University’s community presence, and in restoring Darke Hall as a vital resource for the arts community. She helped to found the Regina Women’s Network, giving voice to ambitious working women at a time when that voice needed support and amplification. She helped found the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards that celebrated women’s accomplishments. Lyn’s involvement with the Regina Little Theatre created many fond memories and friendships as a performer and supporter. She was instrumental in the development of the Lifelong Learning Centre, which grew from 30 to over 1,000 students. A large gift to the MacKenzie Art Gallery in 2018, made in honour of her mother and brother Anthony, gave that organization the opportunity to expand their collection and support their programming. Her most recent gift to that organization again filled a community need. She also established the Thorn Prize for artists in honour of her late brother Anthony. The award gives up-and-coming artists a relief period and inspires them.
Her decision to establish the Lyn Goldman Legacy Fund at the Saskatchewan Community Foundation grew from a lifetime of steady generosity and a wish to ensure that her support would continue. She believed that service and generosity were important parts of a meaningful life, and that her philanthropy was the best avenue for her to have a voice in today’s society. For Lyn, giving and volunteering were ways of living out her values, taking part in her community, and supporting the institutions she cared about.
The impact Lyn hoped to have was both immediate and lasting. Over time, the annual giving from her Flow-Through Fund supported a wide range of organizations, from arts groups and libraries to educational institutions and social-service agencies, showing how deeply she cared about both cultural life and practical support in the community.
Her story will continue to be told forever, by supporting and honouring the causes that make up who she was. In that sense, Lyn’s legacy lives on not only through individual gifts, but through the arts she championed, the opportunities for learning she helped sustain, the community institutions she strengthened, and the generous example she leaves behind.
We were so fortunate at the Community Foundation to count Lyn as one of our family members. She was always curious about needs we were hearing about, shared with us her insight and knowledge, and greeted us with a friendly, warm smile when we met. Along with so many others in our community, we admired her greatly. We are honoured to help ensure that her generosity and vision continue to shape the community she loved, carrying forward the values and spirit that defined her life.
