My sympathies today go out to former city councillor Henry Marcovitz and his family. Henry's dear wife Shirley passed away on Saturday.
When I first started covering Côte Saint-Luc city council meetings for The Suburban almost three decades ago I got to know Henry quite well. He was a financial wizard and always had something interesting to say. Well, we all know behind every great man is a woman and in Henry's case that certainly was Shirley. She happily accompanied him to community events and was an absolute delight to speak with.
A couple of years ago Henry and Shirley became constituents of mine in District 2, purchasing a condominium apartment. I must say that I was honoured to have someone with Henry's political past as part of my electorate. Interestingly, though, it was Shirley who began communicating with me almost immediately. She handled the email in the household and a number of occasions she would send me messages about the state of Rembrandt Park. When I held one of my District Information meetings about the park, she and Henry were in attendance. I was not aware she was ill and I actually thought about the two of them the other day while planning my next meeting with constituents in June. The focus will in fact be Rembrandt Park again, but this time with a very interactive format. I was so much looking forward to Shirley's input.
My sympathies to Henry, her children, grandchildren and other family members. Funeral services from Paperman & Sons, will be held on Monday, March 12 at noon. Burial at Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation Cemetery, Tifereth Jerusalem Section, de la Savane. Contributions in her memory may be made to the “Shirley Marcovitz Memorial Fund" c/o the Jewish General Hospital Foundation.