Ellen Hannah Goldstein Wickberg

WICKBERG, Ellen Hannah Goldstein (December 31, 1932-May 10, 2017). Ellen was born in San Jose, California to Sydney and Zelma Goldstein, and grew up in San Diego, California. On May 10, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s-related dementia, Ellen passed away. She was pre-deceased by her life-long partner and husband, Edgar Wickberg, and fondly remembered and loved by her family. She is survived by her sister, Jean Malamud; her three sons, Eric (Susan), Alan (Nancy), Dan (Susan) and her daughter Laurel Bailey (Rob); seven grandchildren, Michael (Neela), Geoffrey, Aaron, Brendan, Eleanor, Miles, and Isaac; and one great grandchild, Ariya. Ellen graduated from Hoover High School in San Diego in 1950, where she delivered an address entitled “Our Half Century” that argued for the social responsibility of her generation, and helped define the trajectory and social values of her life. She attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she received her BA in Psychology and did graduate study in Social Work. She was a life-long advocate for community nutrition, going back to school and earning a BS in Home Economics from UBC and certification as a nutritionist from Loma Linda University in her 40s and early 50s, and working in various facets as a nutritionist and an advocate for public projects related to community foodways, food safety and security, and family nutrition. Those who knew Ellen recognized her strong passion for combining matters of food and its preparation with issues of social and cultural recognition and justice, and that her career was dedicated to improving the lives and health of others. She lived in various places in her life, including California, Kansas, Washington D.C., and Taiwan, before settling in Vancouver in 1969, where she lived the rest of her life. As a university graduate in the 1950s, Ellen spent a formative year with the International Voluntary Service for Peace in work camps throughout Europe. Ellen was a great cook and a voracious reader. She loved genre fiction, especially Science Fiction (don’t call it “SciFi”!). Her children fondly remember the experiments in food and cooking that characterized their youth, the much-dreaded salmonella from improperly stored food that never occurred, the romance with “alternative” protein sources such as horse meat and dogfish, her contributions to the Kitsilano Food Co-op in the 1970s, the constant trips to the library (and the dictionary!), and her interests in weaving and First Nation’s textile and food production, among many of the characteristic activities that marked her life. She worked as a nutritionist for the Simon Fraser Health Unit in Coquitlam until her retirement in 1999. She was active after retirement in many volunteer projects, including a community canning kitchen at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, and as a nutritionist at Westside Family Place. These projects focused on providing access and support to ensure that members of the community were informed about nutritional and dietetic health. Due to her influence, all of her children maintain a powerful interest in the diversity and variety of food and its importance for social and family life. Values central to Ellen’s life were those of social service, education, cultural integrity, and family. A memorial for family and friends will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer Society of Canada (alzheimer.ca) are encouraged.

Arrangements under the direction of First Memorial Funeral Services, Vancouver, BC.