ELAINE STOLLER (LEE)

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ELAINE STOLLER (nee LEE) With deep sadness, the family announces the sudden and tragic passing of Elaine (nee Lee) Stoller on December 2, 2008, at the age of 63. Elaine was predeceased by her parents Percy Lee and Polly Shore, brother Cary Lee and by her loving husband of 22 years, Leonard Stoller. She is lovingly remembered by her children Danny (Cara), Bobby (Alyssa) and Michael (Miriam), grandchildren Jacob, Josh, Alex, Sabrina, Jaclyn, Reina and Madelyn, sister Donna Schachter (Harry), brother Harvey Lee (Diane) and brother-in-law Sheldon Stoller (Lesia). She will also be sadly missed by her many dear friends and extended family. Elaine was born to Percy and Polly Lee in Winnipeg on July 25, 1945. She was the oldest of four children. Her early years were spent in the north end where she attended Inkster School and the Talmud Torah, before moving to the south end in 1953. She later attended Brock Corydon, River Heights and Kelvin High schools. Elaine was a student at Mount Carmel Clinic and graduated as an X-ray Technician in 1966. Her years at the Clinic taught her the importance of helping people of less fortunate circumstances, which is a lesson she never forgot. In 1967 she married Leonard Stoller. They built a life together and had three sons. Her greatest satisfaction came from raising her children and building a family. With Leonard's sudden and tragic death in 1989, Elaine was left to raise her three sons by herself. She took great interest in their lives, taught them to be independent and sought to give them a life filled with fun and laughter. The men they became, with her nurturing, love and support gave her much to be thankful for. In recent years, Elaine went back to university and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Conflict Resolution. She was also a founding member of the Women's Endowment Fund of The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba. She loved Winnipeg and her community and was active in many local charities. Elaine lived each day to its fullest. She loved life and took in all it had to offer. She loved and was loved beyond measure. Spending time with her family was her greatest pleasure. She took her grandchildren to all kinds of activities and loved every minute of it. Her grandchildren were blessed to have had Elaine as their Baba and it is a tragedy that she will no longer be here to enrich their lives. Elaine was an excellent cook, knitter and jewelry designer. She delighted in making holiday dinners and in entertaining her friends and family. She spent the last three winters in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, travelled frequently to visit her children in Montreal and enjoyed summers at her cabin in Gimli. Elaine was also loved by her many dear friends. To Elaine, her friends were part of her family. Whether it was going for walks, playing bridge, exercising at the Rady Centre, going to the theatre or for coffee, Elaine always had a friend. Not only did Elaine think of many as her friend, even more thought that of her. Elaine was a warm and caring person and never took anything for granted. She was able to laugh at herself and did not take life too seriously. She had an infectious laugh and was able to light up a room simply by entering it. The last few years of her life were truly wonderful for her because of the meaningful experiences she shared with her grandchildren. She will be dearly missed and remembered forever. Funeral services were held Friday, December 5 at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. Pallbearers were Sheldon Stoller, Eric Zipman, Jeremy Lee, Ben Schachter, Chuck Golfman and Boris Yufe. Honourary Pallbearers were Barry Schwartz, Brent Schacter, Rosalyn Golfman, Harry Schachter, Rhonda Klassen and Jill Brandes. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Stoller Family Fund in Memory of Leonard and Elaine Stoller' at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba (www.jewishfoundation.org). The family would like to extend a special thank you to Eran Plotnik for his support, compassion and sense of humanity on the night of her death.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 13, 2008