October 27, 1933 - January 16, 2024
Kind, generous, and renowned for her sense of commitment and love of laughter, Myrna was always there to help make things happen. Born and raised in Toronto, she was an only child with a large extended family. Progressive and determined, she attended Harbord Collegiate and the University of Toronto, where she earned a diploma in Occupational and Physical Therapy. She attended the University of British Columbia later in life for a degree completion programme and ultimately taught there, too. She worked in both public and private practice, especially focused on supporting people with special needs. In 1957, she came to Vancouver, where she met and married Sidney ("Sid"), her husband of 57 years, and together they raised two children, Elliott and Heidi. Sid predeceased Myrna, having passed away in 2016. Myrna was a member of Hadassah, was renowned for her cheesecake, and, in retirement on the Sunshine Coast, contributed to and led the local hospital auxiliary as well as the local Canadian Friends of University Women chapter. Myrna and Sid bought a cottage on the beach in Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast in 1970 and retired to a house on the beach there in 1989. They enjoyed many years of travelling around the globe, experiencing a variety of countries and cultures. She will be missed by her many friends and family: daughter Heidi, son Elliott, and grandchildren Sam, Philip, and Erica. As Myrna's health began to fail, she moved firstly into assisted living and then to full-time care, initially in Gibsons and then at Louis Brier Home in Vancouver. The funeral service and interment were held on January 19, 2024, in Burnaby, BC, at Beth Israel Chapel and Cemetery, led by Rabbi Adam Stein, who gave the eulogy; Rabbis Hannah Dresner, Laura Duhan Kaplan, Susan Shamash, and Jonathan Infeld provided additional leadership and support. Gratitude is expressed to these rabbis as well as to the Chevra Kedisha, Rev. Joseph Marciano, and the Or Shalom community. Thank you also to all members of the care teams—home support workers, care aides, and physicians—who supported Myrna's last few years on the Sunshine Coast and in Vancouver. Myrna's family would be grateful for donations in her memory to the Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary, Bursary Society CFUW Sunshine Coast, or Canadian Hadassah-WIZO.
