CIOBANU, Romanita Mirela - (March 23, 1966 - December 17, 2020) -
Today, we found out that our treasured colleague, Romanita Ciobanu, passed away at her Lakeside apartment in Etobicoke.
Romanita has been an accomplished job developer with Times Change for more than 10 years, mentoring many colleagues and temporary staff, forging connections with numerous employers and advocating for and helping countless clients gain satisfying and sustainable employment.
Most notably, Romanita cultivated long-lasting relationships with employers and clients, helping to develop jobs that spoke to many clients’ deepest aspirations. An NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) counsellor by training and a former engineer from Romania, Romanita cared deeply about our clients’ inner needs. A reader of spiritual literature that deepened her understanding of human nature, she was “a caring and optimistic person, who always took a negative situation and turned it into a positive,” said Cynthia Downey, her fellow job developer.
As for her presence in the collective, she was a strong force: confident, a firm and guiding hand with our strategic and operations plans, helping us to stay on track. Romanita had a voice both assertive and gracious: she spoke up for herself, Times Change, women, and our clients, and was quick to generously thank others for their contributions. She also played a leadership role among job developers within our many community partner agencies, pitching in to organize events and more. Most recently, doing so from home, often with “her cat sitting comfortably behind her head,” said Kary McIntosh, a close colleague, who vividly recalls this image of her from a meeting on Zoom.
Romanita is survived by her husband of many years, Dragos Ciobanu. One couldn't talk to Romanita for long without discovering her strong and passionate love for her husband. While the rest of us lovingly joked and vented about spouses, family members, pets, and friends, Romanita consistently talked about her husband in the tender and admiring tones of a new bride. She spoke often of their walks along the lake, the food he prepared for her lunch, the movies they watched together nightly, and most of all, of the compelling conversations they had each day. When asked about her hobbies and interests, Romanita frequently said that her main hobby was “spending time with my hubby.”
Even when you complimented her on her hair, she would proudly tell you that it was her husband who had washed, dried, coloured and cut her locks. Her husband's birthday was akin to a national holiday: Romanita would take the day off work so that the two of them could spend it joyfully together.
And joy and an appreciation for life was a big part of Romanita’s outlook. One had only to ask what she would be doing with a visiting relative to discover that Romanita excelled at finding offbeat and interesting things to explore in Toronto. This included chilling and then warming up to salsa and other bands at the historic art deco pavilion, the Sunnyside Café; frequent walks in nature; and a taste for sampling the luxury and ambience of a fancy high tea at places like the King Eddie and other swanky hotels around Toronto.
An avid consumer of organic vegetables, Romanita seldom indulged in the chocolates and treats so often left in our group room or lunch café. But she did put aside her greenery for some high tea decadence when celebrating special occasions with her husband.
Romanita had a unique way of ending an email or card, signing off with “blessings from my heart.” And now, we very sadly send Romanita off with blessings and affection from our own hearts. We love you and will miss you very much, Romanita.
We also send our warmest and most heartfelt condolences to Romanita’s family, especially to Dragos, Romanita’s husband, now a member of our Times Change extended family.
Arrangements entrusted with Ridley funeral home. In lieu of flowers, and if desired, donations to Times Change in memory of Romanita would be appreciated by her husband, Dragos.
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