Karen Gerda Hnatyshyn ( ; ; born 1935 in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

) is a former

viceregal consort of Canada The viceregal consort of Canada is the spouse of the serving governor general of Canada, assisting the viceroy with ceremonial and charitable work, accompanying him or her to official state occasions, and occasionally undertaking philanthropic work ...

, who held the role from 1990 to 1995 during her husband

Ray Hnatyshyn Ramon John Hnatyshyn ( ; uk, Роман Іванович Гнатишин, Roman Ivanovych Hnatyshyn, ; March 16, 1934December 18, 2002) was a Canadian lawyer and statesman who served as governor general of Canada, the 24th since Canadian Co ...

's term as

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...

. She attended the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in dietetics and nutrition. After an internship at the Royal Victoria Hospital in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, she worked as a hospital dietitian in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

and

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. She married Hnatyshyn in January 1960. The couple had two sons, John Georg Hnatyshyn and Carl Andrew Nygaard Hnatyshyn. As the spouse of a Governor General, she was also invested as a Companion of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

upon Ray Hnatyshyn's swearing-in. In 1993, she hosted the premiere of an educational video promoting the importance of a healthy diet for people living with

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

. She co-authored ''Rideau Hall: Canada's Living Heritage'', a book about the history of

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...

, in 1995, with the proceeds going to make purchases of art and furnishings for the official residence. She also worked with the Canadian Heritage Garden Foundation to develop a heritage garden in the grounds of Rideau Hall. Gerda Hnatyshyn is currently president and chair of the Hnatyshyn Foundation, an arts granting organization."City acting student earns $10,000 grant from Hnatyshyn Foundation". '' Western Star'', July 7, 2005.

References

1935 births Canadian viceregal consorts Canadian philanthropists 20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers Companions of the Order of Canada Living people Dietitians Canadian people of Danish descent Writers from Winnipeg Canadian women non-fiction writers Canadian women philanthropists 20th-century Canadian women writers {{Canada-activist-stub