Naomi Laura Gropper

GROPPER _ (Steiner) Naomi Laura born October 3, 1970, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2005 surrounded by her family. Despite being diagnosed with a brain tumor almost a year ago, Naomi continued to live her life to the fullest. She continued to have hope, and continued to give to, and draw strength from, an enormous group of family and friends. Naomi is survived by her husband, Daniel Steiner, her four year old son Benjamin and one year old daughter, Bella, her parents Arlene Gladstone and Hamish Cameron and Mitchell and Lynne Gropper, her grandmother, Zoe Gropper, brothers Daniel Gropper (Tamara), Aaron Gropper, Ross Cameron, Hamish Cameron (Patricia), Grant Cameron and Dory Cameron (Gordon) and Daniel's parents, Norma and George Steiner, as well as many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. The family thanks Drs. Brian Thiessen, Michael McKenzie, Warren Mason, Beverly Spring, Keith Hatlelid and Lori MacFarlane, as well as the caring nurses and staff of the BC Cancer Agency and the Palliative Care Ward at Vancouver General Hospital, for their support and guidance. Naomi lived a full, but short life. She studied at Vancouver Talmud Torah and Magee High School. At 16, she travelled to France to attend school there. Her university education was at McGill (BA, 1990), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1989) and University of Toronto (MBA, 1998) where she was her class president. From 1994 to 1996, she worked, first as a volunteer, and then as a manager, at The United Way of Greater Vancouver. From 1988 to 2001, she worked as a management consultant with AT Kearney, dividing her time between her home with Daniel in Toronto and cities across North America, including New York where she and Daniel lived from 2000 to 2002. In 2002, Naomi and Daniel returned to Vancouver, where Naomi worked with Arts Umbrella where she was instrumental in the establishment of the endowment fund in honor of Carol Henriquez. Naomi was also active in the community, as a board member of the Jewish Family Service Agency of Vancouver and co-chair of its "Innovators Lunch" held in April 2004, and co-chair of the Ben Gurion Society and of the Family Day of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. Family and friends were central to Naomi's life. She had the ability to touch each of them all of the time. Her children bear the indelible stamp of her love. She will be missed and remembered by many. Funeral services will be held at Temple Sholom in Vancouver at 7190 Oak Street on Sunday, June 26, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. with the burial to follow at Temple Sholom's cemetery in White Rock. (Shiva arrangements will be announced at the funeral). In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Naomi Fund at the Jewish Family Service Agency. The Naomi Fund will support families and individuals facing medical crisis in our community, who are not fortunate enough to have a group of family and friends such as those who were available to provide strength to Naomi. Please contact JSFA in Vancouver at 604-257 5151 or by mail to 305-1985 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6J 4Y3 for further information.