Peacefully at home, with her husband by her side, Carol Leszcz passed away on Monday, October 29, 2012, at age 52. Carol leaves her husband Rob Waldman and cherished children Sari and Ben Waldman, extended family and many dear friends. She was predeceased by her parents Molly and Hymie Leszcz, her brother Harry Leszcz, and in-laws Reva and Ben Waldman and Shira Waldman. Carol was a devoted and loving wife, mother and daughter, a consummate friend and a beloved teacher. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Carol grew up in Winnipeg's north end in a warm and nurturing family that valued thoughtfulness, humility and menshlikeit above all else. She attended Talmud Torah and West Kildonan Collegiate, graduating from the University of Winnipeg with a B.A. and Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Carol then embarked on a 27-year career teaching Junior Kindergarten at Talmud Torah and the Gray Academy of Jewish Education. Hundreds of children spent their formative years in her class, calmed by her bright smile and embraced in her loving arms. She adored her students and they, and their parents, adored her back. Carol's dedication to teaching was recognized with the 2007 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Carol discovered her gift for working with children during the summers she spent at Camp Massad, including five as program director. It was also at Massad that her remarkable artistic gifts became apparent. In 1987, Carol traded summers at camp for summers at the family cottage in Loni Beach. There the door was always open, the pantry always full and the grill always hot. Carol was a marvelous cook who expressed her love for family and friends in the foods she prepared for them. She graciously shared recipes and cooking tips and was the go to person for anything culinary. Carol's daily life was consistently made up of acts of kindness. She was a thoughtful and generous partner, mother and friend who gave of herself in myriad ways. She was the organizer, nurturer and navigator, who recognized instinctively how to solve any practical problem and how to respond to any personal challenge. Her humanity, decency and creativity touched everyone she knew. She was wise and witty, unbeatable at word games, and possessed remarkable inner strength and resiliency. In spite of her parents' and brother's untimely deaths and her own illness, she retained a positive outlook on life. This positivism derived from the tremendous joy that Carol received from her husband and children. She was delighted by Sari and Ben, and incomparably proud to be their mother. Funeral services were held at the Chevra Mishnayes Synagogue on Tuesday, October 30, with Carol's dear family friend Cantor Gerry Daien officiating. Pallbearers were Grant Zipursky, Paul Winestock, Stephen Rosenfield, Bernie Chodirker, Shalom Coodin and Marshall Carroll. Donations in Carol's memory may be made to funds being established at Camp Massad Manitoba and the Gray Academy of Jewish Education, or to CancerCare Manitoba. Carol and her family were deeply appreciative of the care and compassion extended to her by CancerCare and the Health Sciences Centre's D6 ward.