Trofimenkoff, Lezli-Jo

Born at Imperial, SK and deafened at age 1 from spinal meningitis. Metro School for the Deaf, Toronto, 1964-1967, then Saskatchewan School for the Deaf, graduating 1977. B.S. degree from Gallaudet College. Worked for a time as a farrier, but had to give up that profession when she got married (to Kenton Tofimenkoff, also deaf) and moved to the city. Counselor/therapist with emotionally disturbed deaf children and VR counselor with deaf and hard of hearing adults. A 1998-1999 try at entrepreneurship as a maker of baking mixes sold to clubs and schools for fund-raising purposes was cut short by having to care for her husband after a serious illness and to look after their two children. She also taught ASL on a part-time basis.