Rose Alper

Lanie Melamed, a consummate environmentalist and a "Raging Granny" for peace and social justice, died from breast cancer in August 2003. On learning she had breast cancer, Lanie looked for an organization that would reflect her outlook and values. BCAM's key policy issue — Stop Cancer Before It Starts — resonated with her, and she found a natural fit and home with us.

One of Lanie's important contributions was setting up the Health and the Environment Action and Learning Group (HEAL). The group met monthly to explore the effects of the environment on health. Some of the women who attended these meetings became active BCAM members. Lanie also contributed articles to the BCAM Bulletin; she relished challenging conventional thinking and her articles were thoughtful and thought-provoking. She also served as vice president on the Board for a number of years.

At age 50, Lanie entered a Ph.D program at the University of Toronto and subsequently held a position at Concordia University, teaching courses based on her thesis topic, Older Women's Playfulness and How it Enhances their Learning and Development. She was passionate about enjoying life.  Her customary greeting was, "Did you have fun today?" Lanie's life-long interests included folk music and folk dance, textiles and wall hangings. Her hands were always busy, even at meetings.

Above all, Lanie wanted to impart her passion for people working together to save the environment. In her book, Women Confronting Retirement, Lanie wrote that when she attended Antioch College, each day she passed a plaque that read: "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity." For Lanie, this was: mission accomplished.