Nyla GROSSMAN

GROSSMAN, Nyla Ruth Elnes
December 19, 1919 - August 20, 2013
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Nyla Ruth Elnes Grossman. Loving wife and best friend of Arnold (predeceased 1996); loving and devoted mother of Mary (Jan Schulz), John, Peter (Sarah Weir) and Jennifer; beloved and adored grandma of Caroline (Norm Stanford) and Matthew Schulz; Jared, Sarah and Dora Grossman; and Nina and Sadie Grossman. Raised in her beloved Northern Michigan, Nyla became a physician at a time when it still was an almost inconceivable option for women. After obtaining a medical degree from Women's Medical College, Pennsylvania, Nyla completed part of her internship on Molokai, then a leper colony in Hawaii, having crossed the Pacific ocean during World War II as the only private citizen aboard a military freighter. Nyla then completed a residency program in anesthesiology at the University of Illinois, and at the age of 52, a second residency in respirology at McGill University. She enjoyed a busy clinical practice. Dr. Elnes was an accomplished musician, naturalist and animal lover who passed on her love of family, music, the ocean and the woods to her children. Despite being well traveled, a voracious reader and an engaging story teller, she was at heart very private and humble. A loyal friend, generous to a fault and compassionate, she was beloved by all who knew her, though none more so than her husband whose love and respect for her knew no bounds. At her request, Dr. Elnes was laid to rest in a private service on Friday, August 23, 2013. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her memory to the World Wildlife Foundation.