The Hintonburg Community Association (HCA) and our community lost a long-time member, enthusiastic supporter and friend when Monica Freedman died on June 12.
Many residents will remember Monica at HCA events, coralling people to remind them to renew their membership or asking them to join the community association. So many of us can trace their membership back to Monica. In addition she was a member of the Board of Directors for many years and was always ready to help with any project.
Monica was born in Cinncinnati, Ohio on August 16th, 1940 and immigrated to Kingston, Ontario in 1965 with her family. She worked at the Prison for Women as a social worker for many years with Correction Service Canada followed by extensive volunteer service for the Elizabeth Fry Society in Kingston and Ottawa.
She joined the Board shortly after she arrived in Ottawa. Active on several HCA committees, she also served on the Board of Newswest, the community-run newspaper for many years.
Monica was the ‘eyes on the street’ for Hinton Avenue where she lived until 2005. She chatted with all her neighbours and kept up with the comings and goings. In 2009, after a few years in an apartment on Parkdale Avenue, Monica moved to the Grace Manor due to increasing mobility issues. She continued to attend meetings and events, cheerful as ever in her wheelchair, still keen to keep up on politics, news and saying hello to friends in the neighbourhood. Always ready for a celebration, Monica loved going out with friends for a meal, especially the annual New Year’s Eve dinner at Hino’s restaurant.
We were pleased to organize an informal Celebration of Life for Monica and her family from Toronto and Alberta to let them know how much she was appreciated and remembered.
Donations in her memory can be made to the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa at CanadaHelps.org.
With the support of Monica’s family the HCA will plant a tree in Monica’s memory this fall in a Hintonburg park.
