Barbara Joan Sealy led a healthy life, exercising, eating well and never smoking.

But that didn’t prevent the Toronto-area woman, described by her husband as the healthiest person he knew, from falling victim to lung cancer and dying on May 21, 2002.

It was with the intent of preventing a similar fate from happening to other families that Sealy’s loved ones yesterday contributed $1 million — which was matched by the University of Ottawa — toward the creation of a $2-million endowment fund, which will support a research chair named in her honour.