Tri-Cities community leaders are mourning the passing of Gertie Grosser, a compassionate woman who founded Share Family and Community Services with a clothing exchange and early childhood supports for families.
According to her family, Grosser passed away on Oct. 28 in the Madison Care home in Coquitlam.
Beginning in 1972, Grosser started a clothing exchange for moms she ran out of her basement, which grew into the long-running Share’d Treasures Thrift Store. She subsequently fought for funding and supports to start a crisis line, and also started a school-based program for vulnerable children called Kincaid.
From this foundation, Share has grown into the Tri-Cities’ largest non-profit agency serving children, families and seniors through a food bank, holiday hampers and Toy Bank, housing, seniors programs, counselling and more.
“None of these services would be possible without Gertie’s tenacity and deep compassion. She had a positive vision for the Tri-Cities community, and a determination to assist others that was unstoppable,” said Share CEO Claire MacLean.
Throughout the intervening years, Grosser continued to be active and provide advice as well as stories about Share’s early days, according to MacLean.
“All of us at Share will miss Gertie, but her remarkable legacy will live on through the work we do every day, and in the lives of the thousands of people whose lives were made better because of her.”
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart also commented that the city owes a lot to Grosser for her efforts on behalf of children and families.
“Our community owes a tremendous debt to Gertie, as the organization she founded has likely touched every family in the Tri-Cities. Growing up in Coquitlam, I know that our own family benefited from some of the wide range of programs offered by Share,” Stewart stated on Facebook.
Grosser is survived by her two daughters, Jacqueline Grosser, Angela Lange (Grosser) and granddaughter Amanda Grosser.
In addition to her work with Share, the family states that Grosser also worked for Tree and Leaf, an organization dedicated to helping young people learn life skills by working at greenhouses, as well as the Coast Foundation.
Grosser was the recipient of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award in 1973.
