Helen and her late husband George established the George and Helen Vari Foundation in 1984. Together, they created an outstanding record of philanthropic activity with a strong focus on supporting higher education. A longtime donor to Ontario Tech, the Foundation has given a total of $350,000 to the university in support of scholarships, bursaries and the university’s newest building Shawenjigewining Hall.

In 2015, in recognition of her philanthropic and volunteer contributions to Canada, Ontario Tech was proud to confer upon Helen the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. In her address, she accepted the honour in memory of her husband, saying, “George's philosophy was that you can save our troubled world only with education.”

Helen demonstrated her shared belief in education in 2016 when she established the Honourable George Vari Bursaries and Scholarships in her husband’s memory at Ontario Tech. Since then, numerous undergraduate and graduate Engineering students have benefited from her generosity and her gift will continue to support Ontario Tech students in perpetuity.

Whenever Helen addressed guests at formal or informal events where Ontario Tech students were present, she always ended her acknowledgements warmly with, “most importantly, my dear students.”

“On behalf of Ontario Tech, I express our deepest condolences to Helen’s family and her many friends. She, and her husband, changed lives, and their compassion and generosity will forever live on in the students they support.”--Dr. Steven Murphy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ontario Tech University