Liza was always there - for her family,  our school and community centre, our neighbourhood. A community-builder, environmental champion and wonderful person.  We will miss her.

I learned of Liza's death on Twitter today. I extend my sympathy to her family.

I didn't know Liza well, but as a mother in the community (with kids at Earl Beatty and EAST), I'm well aware of her positive presence. I'm very sorry for your loss.

She inspired and cared for the butterfly garden the children in the daycare and the school love and enjoy. She inspired the outdoor classroom. There are so many wonderful contributions that Liza made to Earl Beatty and the community. She was an asset and a gem in the community. She will be missed.

I am deeply saddened by the news of Liza's passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. 

Sincerely
Hemant

I was fortunate to have Liza as my partner on one of my first nervous shifts at the Master Gardeners' booth during Canada Blooms. She was a calming influence and a fount of knowledge and common sense. The  answers she gave taught me a lot about gardening and about how to interact with the public and she introduced me to a book of gardening questions and answers that I still refer to.
I will miss her strength, energy and optimism. My heart-felt condolences to her family.

Liza was my friend for 3 decades.   Her life was intricately woven with mine in a tapestry of thoughts, ideas, interests, highs, lows, family and friends.  We met as graduate students and shared the struggles, the victories, the laughter and the tears until somehow we both finally managed to graduate.  We shared a love of the outdoors.  She taught me about plants and I shared my knowledge of birds, and we both shared these with our children when the opportunity presented itself.  
Her character was strong, her sense of humour was wicked, and her zest for life was immeasurable. There was something about the way her eyes would twinkle, her eyebrow would lift, and her smile would light up her face and warm your heart.   We shared our lives constantly as they tumbled into place:  School, men, jobs, marriage, kids, vacations, everything else in between and beyond.  She was Godmother to my eldest daughter.  She was my trusted counsellor and adviser as my life twisted and turned over the years.  Even when we lived hundreds of miles apart, our friendship never faltered. If you wanted an uncensored opinion, the absolute truth, or needed understanding kindness and supporting hug, Liza was there to give them in equal measure.  She had a huge heart and commitment to her family, her many friends, her community, and the environmental health of this planet.   
She was a doer.  Whether it was travelling, creating gardens, entertaining friends, organizing school activities, or making her neighbourhood a better place to live, she got the job done. 
I always thought one day, we would be a pair of old ladies sitting outside a summer cottage, talking about our kids follies over a good bottle of wine and a platter of cheeses and pate.   We certainly shared many, many happy times together over the years and those memories are now priceless.  Never did we think for a moment the unthinkable would happen, but it did.  Liza is the one who left us too soon.  I will always feel blessed to have shared and celebrated our friendship so many times, in so many ways while we could.

Liza was an active volunteer within Earl Beatty P.S. and in my classroom. I taught Cameron for 2 years and interacted frequently with Robin.  Liza was dedicated to working together to find the most effective teaching strategies for her  kids.  I really appreciated the updates as we 'bumped' into each other over the years. My condolences to family and friends as we will truly miss a wonderful, inspirational person who was knowledgeable and passionate about the environment, volunteered her time and cared about everyone around her.

I am truly sorry about Liza's passing. She was so young!. I truly appreciated the contribution that she made to our Toronto Master Gardeners group in the short time that I knew her. God bless her soul!

Liza was an inspiration as a master gardener, extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of horticulture and a caring and helpful friend, always willing to share information and ideas. She was full of energy, optimistic and uncomplaining. My heart goes out to her family and friends.

Toronto Master Gardeners (TMG) are saddened at Liza's passing. She was so knowledgeable on gardening and environmental sustainability. Liza enjoyed sharing her knowledge and wisdom with the public and with other TMG members.  We send our most sincere condolences to Chris, Cameron, Robin and your whole family.    Veronica Callinan, Executive Coordinator TMG.

My sincere condolences to Liza's family and friends. May all your good memories serve you well, now and forever. During the past three years, Liza Ordubegian was a valued member of our group studying to achieve our Toronto Master Gardener accreditation. I also had the distinct good fortune of working alongside Liza while serving our research and writing shifts on the 'Ask a Master Gardener' forum  her vast knowledge of all things botanical, combined with her delightful wit and humour, made work and life a pleasure. Please accept my deepest sympathies.

Liza was a student in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo from 1981 to 1990. I supervised her BA thesis in 1984 and her MA thesis which was defended in 1990. She also worked for me on several other research projects, as reported below.

She also attended two of my REC 406 field travel trips, southern USA in 1986 and Kenya in 1990.

A list of her research publications and conference presentations are listed below. I thought that her friends and family might be interested in her academic accomplishments.

Theses:

Ordubegian, Lisa N. 1984. A Descriptive Analysis of Members of Two Local Naturalist Clubs. BA thesis, Department of Recreation, University of Waterloo. (Paul Eagles Thesis Supervisor)

Ordubegian, Lisa N. 1990. Motivations of Volunteers in Short Term Environmental Projects: A Case Study of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas Volunteers. MA thesis, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo. 115 pp. (Paul Eagles Thesis Supervisor)

Publications:

Ordubegian, Liza N. and Paul F. J. Eagles. 1990. An Analysis of the Motivations of Volunteers in a Short Term Environmental Project. Pages 131-134 in B. J. A. Smale, editor, Leisure Challenges: Bringing People, Resources and Policy into Play, Proceedings of Sixth Canadian Congress on Leisure Research, Ontario Research Council on Leisure. 382 pp.

Eagles, P. F. J., R. S. Sherback and L. N. Ordubegian. 1990. A Study of the Expenditures of Snowmobilers:  An Ontario Provincial Survey. Occasional Paper No. 7, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario. 55 pp.

Eagles, P. F. J., R. S. Sherback and L. N. Ordubegian. 1990. A Study of the Expenditures of Snowmobilers:  A Site Survey of the Grey County, Muskoka, and Sudbury Snowmobile Areas. Occasional Paper No. 15, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario. 73 pp.

Conference papers:

Eagles, P. F. J. (with L. Ordubegian). 1990. The Analysis of Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas Volunteers:  The Implications for Future Projects. Third Symposium on Social Science in Resource Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Eagles, P. F. J. (with L. Ordubegian). 1990. The Long Interview: Its' Usefulness in a Study of Motivations in Short Term Projects. Canadian Congress on Leisure Research Number 6, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.

Paul F. J. Eagles, Professor Emeritus, University of Waterloo.

I am so truly grateful to have known Liza and to have called her my friend. We met in grad school (January 1988 to be precise) and I arrived to Waterloo in a snow storm. She was the first of my fellow students that I met that day, and I will always remember her infectious grin and the twinkle in her eye. She took pity on this disoriented Aussie who had zero snow skills. Liza showed me her Canada, and together with Bobby, we enjoyed lots of day trips to her special places, dinners at her little apartment, and movies at the Princess. Liza had the knack of cutting to the chase, to say what needed to be said, and to do it with wisdom, wit and intelligence. She was passionate about the environment, social issues and sustainability (before it was even a word), and through our conversations, I learned so much. I found her capacity to rise to every challenge so so inspiring. Unfortunately this last challenge, this wicked disease, was one too many. I always believed that Liza's would be there, on the other side of the world, when I could wrangle a visit. It didn't matter how long since we had seen each other or what had passed, our friendship endured. That is the way Liza was. She was always there, solid, dependable, thoughtful, caring, passionate and feisty. And she will always, always be in my heart.

When we moved to Wolverleigh in 1998, Liza immediately came over to greet & welcome us to the neighbourhood. Her warmth & friendliness continued that way for almost the next 20 years, with many fondly remembered chats on porch and deck, often over a beer.

When my family moved to Wolverleigh in 1998, Liza was over immediately to greet us & welcome us. Her warmth & friendliness continued for alnost the next 20 years. I will always remember our chats on deck or porch (often over a beer) about gardens, plants and trees. She will be missed.

When we moved to Wolverleigh in 1998, Liza was on the scene immediately to welcome us to the neighbourhood. I will miss our many chats (over a beer sometimes) about our gardens and trees. Liza made such a difference in the years before gentrification & DECA. She was a force to be reckoned with, for sure.

To say Liza was "an active, respected and loved member of her community," somehow seems an understatement. With this powerhouse woman goes an era in our community and neighbourhood; her energy, knowledge and character defined a community, now gone. Liza will be in my heart always, as a model of generosity and leadership.

OBITUARY

Liza Nadine Ordubegian

6 June, 1960 – 26 December, 2015

Giffen-Mack and Trull Funeral Home

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