August 14, 1936 - July 26, 2022
In Loving Memory ~
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Shirley Lecker at age of 85 at McKenney Creek Hospice in Maple Ridge, BC.
She will be missed dearly by her partner, John Falkenholt, her children, Mark (Lynn) and Hallie (Martin), and her grandchildren Tori, Mason, and Eliza, to whom she was their adoring "Granny".
Shirley was born in Montreal to Moe and Florence Fishman. As a pioneer in Physiotherapy, she was among the first batch of graduates from a new Physiotherapy Program at McGill University in 1956.
She married her ex-husband, the late Alan Lecker, in 1956 and together they started a family in the Montreal suburb of Chomedy in the mid 1960s. In 1971, the family moved to North Vancouver, where Shirley quickly became engaged in the community as a volunteer music teacher at her children's elementary school, a founding member of Har El Synagogue, an active member of the BC Physiotherapy Association, among many other things.
In the mid 2000s, Shirley relocated to Maple Ridge, to be closer to Hallie and Tori. She was a very involved mom and "granny" and was a highly visible attendee at her children's and grandchildren's events.
Shirley's love of music permeated almost every activity. Whether accompanying a hootnanny on her melodica around the campfire, leading a warm-up rap at music camp, or bowing her cello in a local orchestra, Shirley's joy of music was contagious. And it was through music that she met John, a kind and caring tuba player who became her senior year's life partner, as well as a beloved member of our family.
Shirley had a full and meaningful life. She learned to play the cello when she was 60 years old and obtained her Masters Degree in Music Ed. from Thompson Rivers University at the age of 80. She loved to travel and the outdoors, and her many adventures included teaching Physio in China, kayaking in Haida Gwaii, canoeing the Bowron Lakes, and cycling around the Netherlands. All after the age of 50!
We would like to thank the amazing staff at McKenney Creek Hospice in Maple Ridge, where Shirley spent the last five months of her life. Their expertise and loving care were very much appreciated during this challenging time.
A celebration of Shirley's life will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to any of the following organizations to which Shirley was connected:
https://www.wcams.ca/giving/index.html
https://peretz-centre.org/make-a-donation/
https://www.ncjwvancouver.org/
https://physiotherapy.ca/make-an-impact