PENELOPE MARGARET HOLETON (nee RATHBONE)
December 20, 1941 – May 8, 2015
It is with sadness that we mourn the death of Penelope Holeton, a recipient of the 1999 Ontario AIDS Network Honour Roll and 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal from the HIV/AIDS sector. Penelope spent her lifetime dedicated to support and care for others, culminating in the founding of The Teresa Group, Canada’s first community-based charitable organization specifically serving children affected by HIV and AIDS and their families. Committed to making a difference, Penelope was a dedicated volunteer to multiple organizations, a pillar within the Anglican community, an activist for equal rights and a hostess who made all feel welcome and cared for.
Most of all, Penelope was a person who was driven with enormous energy and compassion to provide services for children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. She was highly dedicated to her work and inspired many of us to think “What about the children? What about the diagnosis and the effect it has on an entire family?”
Penelope’s efforts helped to ensure that the importance of HIV in Ontario will continue to be recognized. The Ontario AIDS Network joins together with her family and many friends in the HIV community in honouring her important contribution to our work.