Frances Camyre was a lifelong pioneer.
Born in Maine in 1919, she grew up in Vancouver, where she worked as a hairdresser before moving to Moose Jaw, Sask., with her husband, and then Whitehorse, where they operated a fleet of taxis and buses for tourists.
After losing her husband in a fatal accident, Camyre returned to Vancouver to work in the hospitality industry and then moved back to Alberta to succeed in the oil and gas industry.
Camyre partnered with two other oilfield veterans to establish Key Oilfield Supply & Rentals Ltd. in Calgary, a multi-million-dollar enterprise that provided equipment to the oil industry. She retired as CFO in 1987 and moved to New Westminster, B.C., where she lived until she passed away in 1992.
Having missed the opportunity herself, Camyre focused on helping young people pursue a post-secondary education.
Upon her death, she left $1 million to the Calgary Foundation to establish the Frances Camyre Memorial Foundation Fund, which awards bursaries to Alberta students based on scholastic standing, personal character and financial need.
