| Obituary |
SHIRLEY RUBIN MANN "Oh God (if there is a God), Save my soul (if I have a soul)." Passed away in Toronto on May 24, 2008, in her eighty-eighth year. Shirley is survived by her devoted daughter Laura Sky and son-in-law Verne Sparks of Toronto, and by her beloved grandson Adam Sky and his wife Sarah of Vancouver. She is also survived by her younger daughter Judy. She will be greatly missed by close friends Camilla Tedesco and Suzanne Druker of Toronto, and Lori Milkman in Montreal. Shirley was born in Montreal, the daughter of David and Mary Rubin, and lived there for most of her life. Her sister Rhoda predeceased her. Shirley was the lifelong best friend of Ida Cliff and they were part of a close circle of secular Jewish friends who shared Shirleys passion for social justice, if not always her hotly declared positions. Family circumstances had prevented Shirley from attending university and this was a disappointment she felt keenly all her life. As a result though, she was determined in encouraging her daughters to value artistic and personal expression. She was feisty and argumentative, skeptical and impatient, right to the end of her life when, bedridden, she was still urging her caregivers to unionize. Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, 3888 Jean Talon St. W. on Tuesday, May 27 at 11:00 a.m. Burial at the Victorian Hebrew Cemetery, de la Savane. Shiva in Toronto. To honour Shirley's memory we encourage donations to the Stephen Lewis Grandmothers Campaign at www.stephenlewisfoundation.org. |
