Valerie passed away peacefully at home in Brooklyn, New York on July 16, 2023 after a two-and-a-half-year battle with Stage 4 gallbladder cancer; a battle she faced with courage, dignity, and strength, along with her characteristic humour and grace.

Valerie is survived by her husband Alexander Goodman, her father Randy Quinn (Leasha), mother Ann Robertson, her brothers Daniel (Caroline) and Patrick (Emma Cerulli), and nieces Liliana and Vivian.

She will be remembered with love by her paternal grandmother, and her aunts, uncles, and cousins of the Quinn and Robertson families. Valerie was the cherished daughter-in-law of Ray and Kathy Goodman of Toronto and will be deeply missed by the Bourne and Goodman family, Ann’s partner Dean Bergmame and his family, and Leasha’s family.

Valerie touched the lives of those in her wide circle of family, friends, and colleagues, all of whom will sorely miss her.

She is predeceased by her grandparents Richard and Thelma Robertson of Pierrefonds, Quebec, and James Quinn of Dorval, Quebec.

Valerie was born in September 1986 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal, Quebec. She grew up in Montreal, Quebec, and Oakville, Ontario, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong, making special friends everywhere she lived.

Valerie attended Vanier College in Montreal, Ryerson University in Toronto, the University of Guelph, and was a candidate in the Educational Psychology Ph.D. programme at the City University of New York. She made immense contributions to her communities and to the development, growth, and well-being of others through her career and many diverse roles as an early childhood educator, advocacy program manager, child development specialist, tech strategist, doula, university lecturer, and academic.

Valerie met Alex in Montreal in 2005, and the two became inseparable, traveling the world from Iceland to Azerbaijan, enjoying food, museums, the great outdoors, and all that life had to offer in New York City.

There will never be adequate words to describe the immense gratitude that we all owe to Alex for his unceasing devotion to Val.  None of us will ever be able to fully comprehend what Alex faced during these past couple of years of loving and caring for Val.  All we can do is thank him for his selflessness and unwavering commitment to making possible what Val wanted to do. They both lived life to the fullest and continued to be deeply involved in their family and friends’ lives, providing and finding joy and beauty in everything they did.

Valerie would not want to be defined by her illness.  In her own words,

“I wanted to be a part of all of your lives for so much longer, learning from all of you about your passions and talents... surrounded by just the best people.  I wanted to be able to be the cool auntie/friend to all the children growing up around us and celebrate every small moment possible.  My biggest hope is that I can still be part of your lives in little ways, that you take note of things that make you think of me and stand up to things that aren't right.  I believe that the love you have for people never shrinks, and I have been so lucky to have a life so full of love.”

The family particularly wishes to thank Dr. Paul Oberstein and Shantal Ginsberg and the hospital staff at NYU Langone Health for the skilled and compassionate care that they provided.

Val loved the idea of a memorial fund being set up in her memory to support a teen in need to attend Camp Ouareau, the bilingual all-girls outdoor adventure camp in St. Donat, Quebec. Ouareau was a profoundly impactful and joyous place for Valerie as a teenager, where she shared her confidence, incredible ability to connect with others, and innate nurturance and care with many young campers. Val and Alex would have sent their daughter there. Funds donated in honour of the life and essence of Valerie will support a youth camper with joie de vivre (joy for living); a camper who would benefit from a place to express her authentic self. The family would be grateful for any contributions to the Val Quinn Memorial Camp Ouareau Campership Fund, which can be made at www.valquinn.com

Event Details:

A gathering and celebration of Valerie’s life will be held on Thursday, July 27th at:

Belvedere Funeral Complex

22025 Trans-Canada Hwy, Senneville, Quebec H9X 0B2

For directions, click here

Gathering will start at 13:00, immediately followed by the celebration of life at 14:00. For those of you unable to attend the celebration, it will be broadcasted on this platform. It will be possible to watch it live or in replay via this link : Valerie Marie Quinn (Webcast) - Funeraweb.tv