October 13, 1918 – October 13, 2018
Our family is so sad to announce that Anne passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at her home, in the early morning hours of her 100th birthday.
She is predeceased by her parents, Mary and Joseph Rossen, her brothers, Robert Rossen and Allyn Rossen (Doris), her sisters, Fanny Kaufman (Dave) and Dolly Silverman (Izzie), and grandchild Lori Nozick. She is also predeceased by her husband and life-partner of 62 years, Manuel Nozick. Anne is lovingly remembered and will be deeply missed by her children: Michael Nozick (Cheryl Ashley), Robert Nozick and Marcia Nozick (Doug Aason); her grandchildren, Jennifer Ritter (Alan), Kimberly Nozick, Josh Nozick (Emily), Holly Steele and Jacob Steele (Laura Montgomery); and her great-grandchildren, Brianna Ritter, Madeline Ritter, Alia Steele, Mirabai Steele, Scarlett Nozick and Cody Nozick. Anne was born and grew up in Winnipeg’s North End. She attended I.L. Peretz, Machray, and Faraday schools. She was a brilliant student and finished high school at 15 years of age. She was also a talented dancer and acrobat. Anne’s early childhood had its hardships. She lost her brother Robert and then her father within one year of each other, when she was 11 and 12 years old, and her family consequently struggled with abject poverty during the years of the Great Depression. Consequently, Anne was not able to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor, and instead got a job working as a clerk at the Nozick Commission clothing company, on Albert Street. Even though her life had hardships, Anne never lost her spunk and enthusiasm for life. She was social and vivacious. She attended community dances, and proudly told us that her dance card was always full. Through her workplace, she met her future husband Manuel, and they were married in 1939. After his retirement until he passed in 2001, they spent 20 years wintering as snowbirds in Florida. Anne and Manuel built a beautiful life together. Known to those who loved them as Annie and Mannie, or Annual and Manual, they raised their three children in a loving home. Anne was active in various Jewish organizations, including Hadassah Wizo, ORT, and the National Council of Jewish Women. She became a self-taught (and truly excellent) piano player. She enjoyed golf, bridge, canasta, and Mah-Jong. She was a master chef and baker, and so many of her delicious recipes live on through her children and grandchildren. She could do anything she set her mind to. She was always laughing and smiling, and she always had a sparkle in her eye. Anne, together with Manuel, took so much joy in being grandparents. To her grandchildren, she was Grandma Bunny, or Grandma, and she simply doted on all of them. She always made time for visits, sleepovers, special meals and treats, and visits to Florida in the wintertime. She had a compassionate ear and sage advice. She made everyone feel special. Anne was always fiercely independent and strong-willed. She coped with and grieved the loss of her husband in 2001, and then rebuilt her active life surrounded by family, friends, and the hobbies she always loved. She became a great-grandmother and built meaningful relationships with her great-grandchildren. Anne lived independently well into her 90s. She continued to drive and buy her own groceries. She embraced change and technology and became a user of Facebook and Netflix. She always had a passion for life and a love of experiencing new things, and she lived her life to the fullest. The last few years brought their share of physical challenges for Anne, and she handled them with courage, mettle, and grace. At age 96, she had a terrible fall and required a four-month hospital stay to mend her shattered pelvis. Her care team was astounded when she almost completely recovered, save for usually using a walker to reduce the risk of falling again. Following her discharge, Anne moved into Shaftesbury Park Assisted Living. She made new friends and embraced crosswords, Sudoku, Chair Zumba, and Brain Games. She took impeccable care of her appearance, and she always wore a flower in her perfectly coiffed hair. Although she became increasingly frail over the last few years, she never lost her mental acuity and wit, and she took great pride in her memory and attention to detail. She didn’t ever forget a birthday or an anniversary, and she didn’t let us forget them either. There was always a phone call and a card, and sometimes even another phone call reminder. Anne embraced her age and the passage of time. She was reflective of her experiences, and she fondly remembered and talked about the family and friends that predeceased her. She treasured the relationships she had, and she told us that she loved us, often. She claimed that she hated people knowing her age, but loved telling people. She was so looking forward to the celebration of her 100th birthday party. Our family is heartbroken that we didn’t get to celebrate her birthday with her, yet, our family is blessed and we were all enriched, to have had a person like her in our lives, and we are truly grateful that we had her for so long. She was vital, happy, young at heart and so full of life and laughter, through to her very last day. Annie was interred on October 15 at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. We are grateful to pallbearers, Alan Ritter, Michael Ritter, Ted Lyons, Bobby Goldberg, Josh Nozick and Jacob Steele. Our family are also so grateful to Neva who attended to so many of Anne’s needs, and to her caregivers and companions, especially Odessa and Victoria, and others from Esther’s Group, for their love and care for Anne over the last few years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Manuel and Anne Nozick Fund at The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, Diabetes Canada – Manitoba Division or Parkinsons Society Manitoba.
