Obituary

With profound sadness we announce the passing of Samee-Lee Grossman, on January 8, 2021 at Toronto General Hospital. Beloved mother of Aaron Leighton and Jamie Simpson. Predeceased by her parents Harry and Shirley Grossman. Samee was a loving and devoted mother, and friend to all whose lives she touched. Those who knew Samee knew that she was a single mother who loved her boys deeply. As a mother, Samee was a model of strength and resilience to her sons. She was their best-friend, and the love she provided to both of them is irreplaceable. Samee was loving, intelligent and kind, but a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. Samee was a person who listened without judgment and accepted people for who they were. She helped others with constructive advice and life lessons, and above all lived her life with her own great sense of humour. Some of the words her friends would use to describe her are: genuine, warm and empathic. She was also great storyteller, and most of her stories would make you laugh out loud. Samee worked for the Toronto Public Library (4948) for a great many years. Samee was dedicated to her career with the library, and proud of her work there. One of her passions was mentoring young people who worked as pages at the libraries. She made sure she taught them everything they needed to know, including how to stand up for their rights. Samee was also was a trade unionist who inspired and mentored so many activists. Please join us on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. by clicking the below Zoom link for her funeral service. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87947379262?pwd=YmUrL2lNdHVNc0ZVSXl4bFpWQWFPQT09    Due to the current pandemic restrictions and under direction from our regulator, the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, effective November 23, 2020 all funerals and visitations will be by invitation only to limit the number of people in attendance and prevent the spread of COVID-19. We encourage those that are unable to attend in person to express their sympathy by posting a message of condolence to our website, donating to a charity of your choice in memory of your loved one or by sending flowers to the funeral home.

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January 20, 2021
Fathima Suleiman
Sorry for you lost, she was very good heart and amazing person a mother a sister a friend to me. I will miss her!
January 19, 2021
Christina Duckworth-Pilkington
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I met Samee when all the Metro Toronto library workers merged into one bargaining unit at Mike Harris' unification of the boroughs. I was from North York and she was from East York. What a pleasure it was to work with her as we struggled to negotiate a single collective agreement for all. She was solid, practical, hard-working, and funny , especially when we needed it. An added bonus was her stories about her family's pub, a place I used to frequent when I was much younger. She is one of those who made a real difference. Just thinking about her makes me smile.
January 19, 2021
Cindy Lazaridis
I'm so sorry for your loss Aaron and Jamie, Samee was a wonderful, funny, strong and beautiful soul. She will be missed. We all have so many great memories to share and hopefully soon we can. Sending you all love.
January 19, 2021
George&Sandra Lazaridis
Not having your mother in our lives will never be the same.We will miss her everyday.Sending Aaron and Jamie our sympathies,love and support.
January 19, 2021
Lyndon Phillips
My condolences to thefamily and friends of Samee-Lee, it was a pleasure working with her.