Obituaries
ARNOLD FRIEMAN
Arnold Frieman — family man, philanthropist, businessman and Holocaust survivor —died peacefully on Friday, April 6, 2019, surrounded by his family.
Arnold is survived by his adored wife of 58 years, Myra — the love of his life, partner and advocate — and their beloved daughters and their husbands, Nona and Ashley Leibl and Gina and Jea Guertin. He also leaves his cherished grandchildren Marli Leibl and Josh Vickar, Lexi Leibl, Benji Leibl, Mara and Benji Ostrove, Cayli Weinberg and Sara and Warren Gardiner. He was thrilled to welcome into his family his cherished great-grandchildren Emerson and Brooks Vickar and Cameron Ostrove. He also leaves his sister, Elizabeth Samuel, his sister-in-law, Rita Silver, his nieces and nephews and many friends.
Arnold’s family is his legacy — and his revenge against the murderous tyranny of Hitler’s Nazis.
Arnold was born in Hungary in 1928, one of six children in a tight-knit Orthodox Jewish family whose happy life was destroyed by the Holocaust. He went to a Jewish elementary school, but his town lacked a Jewish secondary school and his parents sent him to relatives in Budapest for further education. He was there when he heard that Jews outside Budapest were being rounded up and shipped out of the country. To help save his family, he headed home, but by the time he arrived his family was gone. Everyone — his mother, father, two brothers, three sisters and his maternal grandfather — had been deported to Auschwitz.
As a teenager, alone, Arnold survived an odyssey of flight, capture, forced labour, prisoner-of-war camp and miraculous escape across four countries. After the war he was selected for transfer from a displaced persons’ camp near Bergen-Belsen to Norway, where he received medical care, returned to school and eventually studied electronics. In 1947 he was recruited to fight in the Israeli War of Independence. In the Israeli Air Force he put his electronics training to use and — another miracle —discovered that two of his sisters, Elizabeth and Edith, had survived Auschwitz and were living in the nascent Jewish state. Despite their happy reunion, at the end of 1949 he returned to Norway.
In 1951 Arnold’s desire to see imagined worlds drew him across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada. He was on his way to an arranged job in Windsor, Ont., but on a whim headed for Winnipeg — where he hoped to find the Wild West he had fallen in love with as a child through the movies. He arrived in Winnipeg in May 1951 penniless, alone and knowing four languages, none of them English.
He found a job and new friends, one of whom, Minnie Heft, encouraged him to pursue a university education. He hesitated, fearing that poor English and a lack of money would stand in his way, but he passed the entrance exam. With a $1,000 gift from Mrs. Heft, he was able to start a business to finance his studies: He fixed and re-sold car radios purchased from wrecking yards.
Arnold’s four years at the University of Manitoba were transformative. He had been a wild teenager and young adult, but the university experience stabilized him. Arnold graduated in 1960 with a bachelor of arts degree and a renewed belief in possibilities — as well as the love of Myra Thompson, whom he had met on her 18th birthday at a Hillel House debate he was moderating. Seven months later they were married. Their daughter Nona was born a year later, their daughter Gina 17 months after that.
Persuaded to go into business by Myra, Arnold in 1962 bought a two-person television sales and service shop from which they also sold car radios and the hot new thing — television sets. Within 12 years, the shop had been transformed into Advance Electronics, a multi-million-dollar business with 170 employees. It remains the largest independently owned retail and professional electronics stores in Western Canada.
One of the great joys of Arnold’s success was his ability to give back to the community. He and Myra have supported nearly 50 provincial, national and international organizations and institutions. They range from iconic arts groups, such as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Manitoba Opera, to small, grassroots causes. Among the beneficiaries of his generosity was the premiere of I Believe, a Holocaust oratorio that helps people everywhere appreciate the importance of peace and justice. He was a devoted supporter of Israel and his many contributions to his alma mater include support for the University of Manitoba-University of Szeged Partnership, which funds exchanges between Hungarian and Manitoban scholars. Arnold’s inclusive style of philanthropy encouraged creativity, kindness and many of the other qualities that he treasured in his adopted home.
Over the years, his achievements have been recognized with numerous honours, most notably his induction into the Order of Manitoba in 2006 and the awarding of an honorary doctor of laws degree in 2018 by the University of Manitoba, which cited him as an exceptional global citizen and builder of his community.
A funeral was held on Monday, April 8, 2019, at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. Arnold’s dear friend Rabbi Alan Green, the former senior rabbi at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, returned from Iowa to deliver the eulogy. Burial was at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Ashley Leibl, Jea Guertin, Norman Silver, Shane Silver, Michael Silver, Josh Vickar and Benji Ostrove. Honorary pallbearers were Peter Robertson, Robby Olynik, Steve Samuel and Oded Samuel.
Memorial donations may be made to the Jewish National Fund or the Benji Leibl Special Needs Fund through the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
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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