Obituaries
CECILE MEYROWITZ (MEYERS)
Cecile Meyrowitz (Meyers), aged 92, passed away peacefully with her son and daughter-in-law at her side on July 17, 2017 at Seven Oaks Hospital.
Cecile will lovingly be remembered by her children, David (Irene), Arlene (Len), grandchildren Elana (Jon), Jesse, Ryan and Brett , her sister Bernice Burko and her sister-in-law, Cookie Rutman as well as nieces & nephews. Her great grand-daughter Kaia was the joy of her life.
She was predeceased by her mother and father, Esther and Sam Rutman, husband Sam and her brother Al Rutman; Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Harry and Babe Meyers; Ida & Harvey Smordin and her brother-in-law, Chilo Burko.
Cecile was born on December 20, 1924. She entered Strathcona School at the age of five for grades one to six. She then transferred to William Whyte School for grade seven and Machray School for grades eight and nine. She went to St. John’s High School for ten and eleven and finally one year at Dominion Business College. During her teens, she was a member of Betar and the Hadassah Juniorettes. She also attended the Winnipeg School of Art. While studying at Dominion Business College, she entered a Canada-wide Underwood Artistic Typewriting contest and won 4th Prize. During her mid-life years, she was active in ORT and became a life member. She met her husband, Sam, in 1946 and they were married on October 19, 1947. She worked in the office of Gunn Garment until 1951 and then joined Investors Syndicate in 1963. She retired from there after 20 years of employment in 1983 from Investors. Cecile and Sam were members of the American Contract Bridge League and shared the excitement of Bridge competitions at the Tuxedo Bridge Studio as well as tournaments in both Canada and the U.S. They were both Silver Life Masters. They enjoyed vacationing in Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas and Israel. They wintered in Florida for 20 years and enjoyed many Caribbean bridge-playing cruises.
Her funeral service and burial took place on July 20, 2017. The funeral service was officiated by Rabbi Anibal Mass. We greatly appreciated his kindness and sympathies. We enjoyed and appreciated the kind words and beautiful memories, expressed by Cecile’s nephew, Lyle Smordin as well as the memories expressed by Irene Boxer-Meyrowitz, Jesse Boxer-Meyrowitz, Elana Waldman and Brett Gladstone.
We would also like to thank Estelle Raber for helping us organize the funeral.
We are grateful to the pallbearers, including Avi Waldman, Matthew Duboff, Brett Gladstone, Jesse Boxer-Meyrowitz, Jon Waldman and Peter Mendelson.
The family would like to thank the staff of Blossoms Senior Care, the staff of Seven Oaks Hospital Emergency and the ward staff on the 5th floor and 3rd floor for their wonderful care and consideration over the years. We would like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Nolan Finlayson and Dr. M.B. MacMillan.
We are also grateful for the love and support extended by Cecile’s sister, Bernice as well as Bernice’s children.
We would like to thank Nate Dana, our honorary pallbearer, for his consideration and assistance to our family over the years.
Donations to the memory of our loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Cecile, could be directed to the Jewish National Fund of Canada, ORT Toronto, Alzheimer Society of Manitoba or the Friends of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
Obituaries
LAWRENCE WERIER
Lawrence Werier passed away at home in Winnipeg on Wednesday, November 6 at the age of 98.
We thought he might live to 100, but it was not to be. Even though he was diminished by dementia in recent years, he still sparkled with an indomitable spirit that could not be missed, whether he was dancing with his many beloved caregivers or sitting quietly with his wife or children. He brought an intense energy to everything he accomplished, such as building a business, making a sale, playing tennis or scuba diving in some remote location.
His work at Goldin and Company was both challenging and joyful, and his entrepreneurial creativity brought him to Asia regularly, where he had close friends in Hong Kong and Taiwan. He married Eddy in 1949, and she remained the love of his life. They traveled the world together on many exotic trips, and in each place he would seek out adventure and fun. He was a force of life and an energetic presence who kept working and living and devouring experiences, always insisting that “the cup is half full.”
Many remember Lawrence as a great storyteller because he could never resist the impulse to share his exciting escapades with others. He didn’t retire until the age of 83, and even after formally ending his business, he continued to wheel and deal from home. In all of these passionate endeavors, he always had time for his children and grandchildren when they came to visit. His love of family was profound, and he demonstrated this love by generously bringing everyone together—children, spouses, grandchildren and Eddy—at treasured family gatherings in Costa Rica, St. Lucia and Mexico.
In recent days, people have reacted almost with astonishment that Lawrence has passed away, as if such a powerful energy might continue. We feel his loss deeply, along with his many friends in Winnipeg and beyond.
Lawrence is survived by his wife, Eddy, and his children, Kerry, Cliff and Jodie, and their spouses, Suzanne, Sabrina, and Michael. He is missed by his two granddaughters, Cynthia (her partner, Matt) and Alex. Lawrence was predeceased by his beloved grandson Koby. Lawrence had many wonderful caregivers at “the Shafts,” too numerous to mention, but Tess Braun was his special friend and honorary daughter, to whom the family is grateful beyond words. Tess, Chris, Mavis, Jonathon and Jules made him comfortable in his final days, and we extend thanks to them all.
Donations in his memory can be made to Shalom Residences (shalomresidences.com).
Obituaries
BETTY JOAN KATZ
Betty Katz passed away peacefully on October 26, 2024, at the age of 94.
She was predeceased by her husband, Melvyn (Mel) and her daughter, Michelle.
Betty is survived by her daughters, Alana (Ted) and Bonnie (Howard); her son, Andy; grandchildren, Jonathan (Leiba) and Jeremy; and great-grandchildren, Louis and Ada.
Betty and Mel were high school sweethearts and married in 1953. Shortly thereafter, they purchased their cherished home on Lanark Street where they lived until after their 60th wedding anniversary. As the children grew older, Betty began a career in property management.
Betty is fondly remembered for her outgoing nature, wit, tenacity, and her great cooking, notably – her signature dish – Spaghetti a la Betty Katz.
Thank you to the staff at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre where Betty received excellent care for the last eight years. Betty enjoyed the recreational activities and every opportunity to sit outdoors and at the sunny windows. Despite living with dementia, she was heard singing the words to “oldies” whenever there was an opportunity.
Thank you to Rabbi Matthew Leibl for leading a beautiful funeral service in Betty’s honour at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery on October 28, 2024.
Obituaries
MARJORIE BAKALINSKY
It is with heavy hearts and deepest sadness that our family announce the peaceful passing of our dear sweet mother Marjorie Bakalinsky.
Mom passed away on Friday, October 18, 2024, at the Simkin Centre.
Mom was predeceased by her parents, Rose and Joseph Weinstein; her sister Shirley; her in-laws, Dora and Beryl Bakalinsky; her sister-in-law Rosalie; and most recently, her dearest brother in-law Shia. Mom is survived by her loving and dedicated life long partner Leonard; her children Rachelle (Bob), Marty (Theresa), Cheryl (Avrum) and Gayle (Frank); her loving grandchildren, Jennifer, David (Andrea), Daniel, Joshua, Kaitlyn, Carllen, and Jerrett; her sister Kayla (Saul), sister-in-law Miriam (Jerry), and many nieces and nephews.
Mom was born in Winnipeg on March 7, 1935. She was raised as a youngster in the north end on Burrows Ave, then moved to Ferry Rd in St. James where her parents owned a grocery store. After graduating high school in 1953, she enrolled in nursing school in Chicago. She spent one year studying in Chicago, came home for summer break, met our dad, fell in love and didn’t go back. On June 5, 1955, Mom and Dad exchanged their wedding vows and were able to celebrate 69 years of marital bliss.
Mom always put others in front of herself, especially our dad, her children and grandchildren. She was the most unselfish woman we have ever known and loved. The matriarch of our family. Our home on Coralberry Ave. was always an open door to our many childhood friends.
Mom loved our cottage at Falcon Lake where many wonderful memories were made over the years, with her grandchildren always by her side. That gave her the greatest joy.
For over 25 years Mom and Dad’s second home was in Margate, Florida. Every year Mom would welcome her children and grandchildren to their Florida home, where there was always a home cooked meal on the dinner table.
There were many things Mom loved to do. One was playing mahjong with her weekly groups in Winnipeg and in Florida. Mom was an active member of Hadassah and was very involved in the Bnay Abraham Synagogue sisterhood. All of these were secondary to her love for her husband, children and grandchildren.
When it came to the point where her family felt Mom was no longer safe in her own home, Dad made the very difficult decision to make the Simkin Centre her new home. All the staff at Simkin who cared for Mom treated her with respect and dignity. Mom’s family will forever be grateful to the wonderful people at the Simkin Centre.
To Rabbi Matthew Leibl, thank you for being a source of support for our family. Your presence helped guide us through mom’s stay in Simkin.
Mom, we love you to the moon and back and beyond.
Forever remembered, forever loved!
In loving memory of our mom, Marjorie, donations can be made to the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre, or to the charity of your choice.
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