Oshawa Resident Continues Family Legacy of Philanthropy

The Bilsky family has long been connected to the Oshawa community and the Oshawa Hospital. That’s why when Marilyn Bilsky heard the Oshawa Hospital was in need of newborn caps in 2002, she began knitting. In the two decades since, Marilyn has knit and donated over 3,000 newborn caps to babies born at the Oshawa Hospital.

“I just feel like I’m giving,” explained Marilyn, who is 88 years old and has lived in Oshawa her entire life. “I’m making use of my time. I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t love it.”

The family has been active in the community since 1958, says Marilyn’s proud son, Mike Bilsky. In 1994, Marilyn’s parents and Mike’s grandparents, Walter and Anne Bilsky, donated funds to Oshawa Hospital. Today, the hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging waiting area is called the Bilsky Waiting Area, in appreciation of their gift to the community. Ron Bilsky, Marilyn’s husband and Mike’s father worked with the City of Oshawa’s Communities in Bloom program, winning numerous provincial, national and international awards for the community. In 1999 Ron was integral in Oshawa winning the International Prize for public gardens in a community of 100,000-300,000 residents.

“Philanthropy runs in our family and it’s our family philosophy,” said Mike. “The recognition is not part of why we do it. We do it for the reasons and not for the recognition. The reason being, when something touches your heart, you have to pay it forward.”

Today, much like her parents, Marilyn continues to deliver on that philosophy with a filing drawer full of wool, surrounded by photos of babies wearing her hats and a nightly knitting routine. It typically takes Marilyn two evenings’ worth of knitting to make one cap, so she watches television while she knits. When she has about 45 completed, she makes the trip to Oshawa Hospital to drop them off, where they are taken to the Obstetrical and Neonatal Intensive Care Units by Auxiliary volunteers.

After thousands of caps, Marilyn has no plans of slowing down any time soon.

“I plan to keep going until I can’t anymore. I enjoy doing it and just love the feeling of giving I get when I do this.”