Obituary of Gabriella Gaby GOMBAI

1963 – Windsor, ON 2013 – Calgary, AB Gaby passed away peacefully with family at her side on Monday, December 2, 2013 at the Foothills Country Hospice at the age of 50 years. She was born on January 16, 1963, in Windsor, ON. After high school, she studied in France and in Spain for a year. She graduated with an Honours B.A., followed by a B.Ed. in 1988 from the University of Windsor. In between her two degrees, she worked in South America as a tour guide and translator. She began her teaching career in Windsor before moving to Calgary on a teacher exchange in 1994. She fell in love with Alberta and never returned to Windsor. In Calgary, she taught primarily at École St. Pius X as a kindergarten and Grade 1 teacher for 12 years. Gaby was a social butterfly who enjoyed skiing, hiking, and scuba diving. She had been a member of the Foothills Masters Swim Club since 1997. She spoke four languages; Hungarian, English, French, and Spanish. Her passion was exploring the world and she travelled all over Canada and to the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Morocco, Egypt, India, and most of Europe. She chose to deal with cancer in her own way. She chose alternative, non-invasive treatments as she believed that given the right tools, the body can heal itself. She went on many spiritual healing journeys during her illness, most notably to John of God in Brazil and to meet the Dalai Lama in India. She is survived by her parents, Steve and Gabriella Gombai; her sister Kristine, her husband John Keller and their children Kitti and Jack; and her brother Steven, his wife Nicole and their children Trista, Natasha, and Lilly. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Funeral Services will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (10 River Heights Drive, Cochrane, AB) on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at 12:00 pm. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, donations can be made in her name to www.thichnhathanhfoundation.org, a Buddhist foundation in California. In living memory of Gaby Gombai, a tree will be planted at Big Hill Springs Park Cochrane by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Cochrane Funeral Home, 369 RAILWAY STREET, COCHRANE. Telephone: (403) 932-4740.