Peacefully, on August 31. 2025, our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother left us to join her beloved husband, Morris, who predeceased her in 2019.
Born into the Sephardic Jewish community of Izmir on March 9, 1929, she led a life of privilege as the daughter of a respected physician, Leon Bemoaras and a wealthy heiress Suzanne Benadava. After graduating from the American College, she became one of the first women in Turkey to obtain a driver’s license. Courted by many, she chose an ambitious doctor who promised her a life of adventure abroad. She left her home and family for New York where Morris pursued his career in surgery. She followed him to Edmonton and St. Catharines, then they settled in Windsor, where her life revolved around Morris and her growing family. She was a tireless volunteer, her talent for sewing, knitting, crocheting and petit-point was unsurpassed, and she out-did any chef when it came to Turkish and Sephardic cuisine. She learned to sail so she could spend summers on the Bat Galim with Morris and together they travelled the world. When he retired in 1988, they moved to Toronto and enjoyed winters in Florida. Rose will be an inspiration forever to her three children Sylvia (Shereen Ezzat), Gerald (Janet Weisz) and Susan (Marshall Katz), her grandchildren Ari Kopolovic (Sherline Joe), Ilana Kopolovic (Henry Conter), Mira Kopolovic, Alexander Ezzat, Talia Asa (Alexander Shafran), Benjamin Asa (Cristina Magan Molina), Jonathon Asa, Mathew Katz (Alexandra Woolfson), Joshua Katz, and Laura Katz (Gregory Poorman), thirteen great-grandchildren, nephew, Bert Kohen (Roza Abuaf) and his family, and niece Mariette Kohen (Jay Bernholtz) and her family.
The family owes a debt of gratitude to Maricel Belarde for her longstanding care and compassion. Thanks also to the staff of Amica Thornhill.
Graveside service at Beth Tzedec Memorial Park, 5822 Bathurst Street, North York on Tuesday, September 2nd at 10:30 am, Section 12.
The family will receive friends at 3800 Yonge Street 3rd Floor, Toronto, following the service until 3:00 p.m.
Memorial donations can be made to Beit Halochem Canada, Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel (https://www.beithalochem.ca/)
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