Ms. Doris Mary Gomez, a patient of audiologist Dr. Debra Shimon, passed away last year at the age of 105.

Goodbye to a patient and friend

By Marilee Griffin

The department of speech, language, and hearing sciences was saddened to lose one of its favorite patients in December. Doris Mary Gomez was 105 when she passed away and had been a patient of Debra Shimon, Au.D., a clinical assistant professor, for 10 years — since first being fitted for a hearing aid in 2002.

Gomez was born in Trinidad in 1907 and moved to New York in 1975. She is survived by five children, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Recently, when visiting the UF&Shands Speech and Hearing Center for a checkup, Gomez shared her secret for a long life: “Have lovely children — and laugh.” She paused, then added, “And a glass of wine.”