June 22, 1947 - January 9, 2021
Born Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
It is with great sadness that the family of Halina Gail Struser announce her sudden passing on January 9th, 2021. A caring and loving daughter, sister, mother, wife, and friend; she will be sorely missed by everyone whose lives she touched.
Halina led her life guided by compassion and love for people on both her professional and personal paths. She completed her Registered Nursing Diploma (R.N.) at the Montreal General Hospital in 1969 before attending Concordia University for her Bachelor of Community Health in 1976 and the University of British Columbia, where she graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in 1988.
Halina's professional path began at the Veterans Hospital in Montreal where she worked on the Psychiatric ward, and then on the Surgical ward of the Montreal Children's Hospital. It was during this time that she met Gerry Greenstone. They were married in 1976, and in 1977 she gave birth to their daughter, Tamara, shortly before moving to Vancouver.
Halina's involvement in the establishment of the first ever part-time Nursing program in Canada at Kwantlen College in 1988 was one her proudest accomplishments. She was a founding faculty member, inspiring hundreds of nursing students to find their passions and learn the skills of their trade.
More recently, Halina was a board member of the Peace Arch Hospice Society and took great satisfaction in her involved in the children's grief camp program.
Having an adventurous and open spirit, Halina (and Gerry) loved to travel and experience new cultures and saw much of the world in recent years. She found pleasure tending to her garden, walking her dogs and being with her family and friends.
Halina is survived by her husband Gerry Greenstone, daughter Tamara (John) Greenstone-Alefaio, sister Linda Botknecht, nieces Deborah (Randy), Caryn and nephew David (Alicia), sister Reesa Struser and nephews Jeremy (Mandy) and Adam, and many extended family members and friends that she loved so dearly. She was predeceased by her loving parents Frank and Bertha Struser.
Due to the health risks of the current Covid-19 pandemic, a memorial is yet to be planned. Memorial donations can be made in Halina's name to the Peace Arch Hospice Society: peacearchhospice.org. The family invites you to share your memories and pictures of Halina on her memorial page: halina.mykeeper.com