Naomi Kogan, born in Montreal on April 11, 1952, peacefully passed on at home surrounded by her family on November 23, 2020. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 35 years, Simon Young, her daughter Emily, her mother Eleanor, her stepson Anthony (Maryse), her sister Elona, her niece and second 'daughter' Yael Kushner Heher (Eliot), her brother Michael, and by many other family members and friends. She was predeceased by her father, Bernard Kogan.
All who knew her will remember the intensity with which she lived her life, how she embraced and supported her family and friends, her great attention to others, her sense of humor which was occasionally outrageous, and her formidable hugs.
Naomi worked for 43 years as a social worker. In her work in palliative care at the Jewish General Hospital she went above and beyond to advocate for her patients and their families. She did everything from helping her patients get visas for their families abroad so they could say their goodbyes in person, to bringing in homemade hot sauce to help a patient feel more at home with bland hospital food. The passion and intensity that she brought to her work helped her to be a tireless voice for thousands over the span of her career. When walking around Montreal it was not uncommon for her to get big hugs from clients whom she had helped, sometimes many years before.
Her diagnosis with gallbladder cancer was tragic but she approached the illness with grace, courage, and resilience. She set the tone for those caring for her, allowing humour and insight to be a part of a dark time. She passed away in much the same way that she lived her life, with dignity and grace, making those around her laugh, and showing loving care and concern for everyone around her, from family to health care professionals. We are profoundly grateful to nurses Allison Quinn, Jill Tom and Paula Habib for their care, empathy, sensitivity and hard work which enabled Naomi to remain comfortably at home in the last weeks of her life. We are deeply grateful to two long-time friends of Naomi; Dr. Nicole Baird, a palliative care physician, and Lucie Tremblay, an oncology nurse, who worked tirelessly to ensure that she got the best care possible.
Naomi was an enthusiastic volunteer, advocate, and Board member of the Depot Community Food Centre and was made an honorary Board member for life because of her contributions to the organization. Donations in her memory can be made at https://depotmtl.org/en/thank-you/ .