Remembering Christine Egan’s Commitment to Healthcare and Education

Christine Egan was born and raised in Hull, England. After graduating from the Hull School of Nursing, she moved to Canada, where she began her career as a medical professional and educator. Egan worked as a nurse serving First Nations and Inuit people in remote northern Canada, even travelling via small planes to towns inaccessible by road. She built strong ties in the communities where she worked, including Coral Harbour and Rankin Inlet in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, Canada.

While living in remote areas, Egan earned the respect of local leaders by studying the Inuktitut language and participated in local pastimes such as ice fishing and square dancing. Described by friends as “cheerful and inquisitive,” Egan continued her nursing studies as an adult, earning a PhD in community health sciences at the University of Manitoba in 1999.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Egan was in New York City visiting her brother, Michael. She planned to stay in the city with Michael’s two sons while he and his wife, Anna, celebrated their 20th anniversary with a trip to Bermuda. That morning, Egan was visiting her brother’s office at Aon Corporation on the 104th floor of the South Tower. Christine Egan and Michael Egan were both killed in the tower’s collapse.

In honor of Egan’s contributions to the Nunavut region, family and friends created the Dr. Christine Egan Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a nursing student at the University of Manitoba with ties to Nunavut. To date, more than 30 scholarships have been awarded.

By Kirsten Madsen, Assistant Manager of the Memorial Exhibition, 9/11 Memorial Museum