CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. —

A Charlottetown businessman has donated $100,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation in memory of his wife who died of cancer in 2015.

George Bassett established the George and Abla Bassett Endowment after her death as a way of thanking the staff at the P.E.I. Cancer Treatment Centre.

Bassett said the donation will support medical equipment for cancer care.

“As a family, we saw the impact of having advanced medical equipment generously donated by the community,’’ Bassett said.

“This is a perfect way to say thanks and to help others needing care in the future. We hope by sharing, we inspire other business owners to consider making a gift to the QEH.’’

Bassett arrived in Canada in 1959 by boat from Lebanon. He couldn’t speak, read or write English, but he decided to make P.E.I. his home. He eventually learned the language and how to run a small business.

In 1966, he married Abla in the Lebanese village of Kfeir.

Following the wedding, they returned to Charlottetown where George became a successful businessman, one of many in the city’s Lebanese community. During the years, George has owned and operated a grocery store, bakery, farm, real estate, a hotel and supported many small business ventures.

“Together with Abla, we spent 60 years in Charlottetown working hard as an immigrant family. In return, we found a safe and loving place to call home.’’

They have seven children, Leila, Nahie Nancy, Mary Lou, Georgina, Sarah, Ramsey and Haifa Lucy, as well as 10 grandchildren.

Abla was a volunteer at the hospital in Charlottetown and helped out at the soup kitchen while George served his church, St. Peter’s Cathedral Anglican Church. Later, they both helped build the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, which included donating the land.

Things quickly changed in 2011 when Abla was diagnosed with cancer. She died in November 2015.

Patsy MacLean, chairwoman of the foundation, said the Bassett donation will help with the purchase of state-of-the-art medical equipment for cancer care for generations to come.

The Bassett donation was recently added to the foundation donor wall. The principal will remain intact while the income earned will be directed to the cancer care equipment on a regular basis.