Obituaries
ARTHUR MERVIN WERIER
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father Arthur Mervin Werier on August 21, 2020, at the age of 82.
He was predeceased by his parents Abe and Bessie Werier and is survived by his sister Carla, son Kyle (Wendy), daughter Stacy (Jason), niece Audrey, nephew Alan and his cherished grandchildren, Vance, Levi, Annika and Brittany.
Born in Winnipeg’s north end in 1938, dad had a wonderful, happy childhood. He often recalled fond memories from his time at Peretz school, fishing and camping trips with his dad, summers at Winnipeg Beach where he was a lifeguard, and going to the movies with his sister at the College Theatre. He played every sport from swimming to tennis, joined every club and formed many of his lifelong friendships during these early years.
In his teens, when the family moved to River Heights, dad was enrolled at Kelvin High where he continued to build strong bonds through this involvement with BBYO, AZA and many school clubs. He was President of the Toppers and while pursuing Law at the University of Manitoba, he was President of his fraternity, the Sammy’s (Sigma Alpha MU).
Dad was a perfectionist. He never started anything he didn’t intend to finish to the last minute detail. Throughout his law career, he never lost a single case, and when asked how, he said, “I didn’t take it on unless I knew I could win.” After retiring from law, he went on to work in property management for many years and ran his business with strong ethics and a kind heart. In business and life, he was tough, but he was always fair.
He taught us so much about how to be good humans. He showed us what integrity looks like, how to be a mensch and what it means to have a social conscience, how to be pragmatic, how to make good decisions, how to live without regret and, most importantly, that life is too short to be unhappy. He always said, “happiness is a choice and you can choose to be happy or you can choose to be miserable, but the only one you’re hurting is yourself.”
Dad loved music, movies, dancing, sports, waterfalls, literature, grammar, puzzles, popcorn, a good debate and his beloved Bombers. He prided himself on a flawless record of never missing a game in 60 years until he got too sick to go. He travelled the world, saw almost every musical, was a wonderful singer and was famous for his one-liners. He played tennis, racquetball, curled, bowled, was an avid golfer, and of course, a world-class table tennis player. He first played for UM from 1957-60 and then went on to play competitively, capturing numerous Canadian and international titles.
Heavily involved in developing table tennis in Manitoba, Dad grew the local association to over 45 teams, making it the largest league in North America at the time. He developed two Canadian Junior Champions, was a coach, trainer and official at the 1967 Paraplegic Pan Am Games and 1971 Canada Winter Games. He participated in four worlds and three Commonwealth Championships. He served on the Manitoba Table Tennis Association (MTTA) executive for 22 years, ten of them as President, and was Vice-President of the CTTA for a decade. Internationally, he was Vice-President of the International Table Tennis Federation and on the executive of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. One of the founders of the Manitoba Sports Federation, he was the Chair from 1973-75 and in 2017 was inducted into the MB Sports Hall of Fame.
Competitive as he was at sports, Dad was the complete opposite in life. He didn’t approach life to win or compete. He valued relationships over things and chose to put his energy into people over possessions. He valued truth, honesty and the human connection.
He was never sick a day in his life until he was struck ten years ago with one life-threatening illness after the other. He fought a courageous battle and faced every day with dignity, strength and grace.
The last month was harrowing. As happens with any terminal illness, one vacillates between hoping for the suffering to end and negotiating with god for a recovery. But every minute; every second with him, whether he knew we were there or not, was priceless. He wasn’t just our father, he was our heart, the rock that we stood on, our compass through life, our advisor, confidant and our guiding light. He was deeply loved, and he will be deeply missed.
As his sister Carla said at his funeral, he is now in heaven with his parents, catching them up on the news of the last fifty years and he hasn’t stopped talking since he got there.
The family thanks his nurses Kate, Jean, Jamie and the doctors on A3 at HSC. A very special thank you to his amazing caregivers Jonny and Hailu who gave him love, strength and respect.
Donations can be made to Cancer Care Manitoba or the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
Obituaries
DAVID BLOOMFIELD
Sadly, David Bloomfield passed peacefully on December 19, 2024, age 79.
David was predeceased by his parents, Marion and Phillip Bloomfield, and older brothers, Joel and Auby. David will be deeply missed and mourned by his wife, Sheila, of 56 years, the love of his life, his children, Brenlee (Michael) and Evan (Ellen), as well as cherished grandchildren, Matthew, Aaron, Lainee, and Lauren. David shared close relationships with his younger sisters, Naomi and Judi, and with their husbands, Shmuel and Larry, and with his sister-in-law, Linda. David also enjoyed meaningful relationships with each of his nieces and nephews.
David was born on January 20, 1945, and grew up in Winnipeg’s North End. He enjoyed many summers at his grandmother’s cottage in Winnipeg Beach, the place he first met Sheila. His love of the outdoors and beach life continued throughout his life.
David was proud of the varied jobs he held and businesses he created across his life. He opted for early retirement from Air Canada choosing to become an independent business owner, purchasing, developing, and operating three Subway restaurants. In later years he bought and sold RV trailers and was always the consummate deal maker.
Throughout his life, David was very involved in his community. He was a very active member of multiple synagogue boards and committees across several decades, later became an active member of his condo board, and ultimately continued to share his opinions and ideas as a resident of both the Courtyards and the Simkin Centre.
David enjoyed his down time and valued his relationships with family and friends. He loved simple things, like Sunday drives with Sheila. He relished weekly lunch and regular casino dates with Auby and enjoyed travelling with Sheila and his siblings and their spouses. David and Sheila enjoyed many holiday meals at Brenlee and Michael’s home over the years and made wonderful memories at Evan and Ellen’s Loni Beach cottage. Early retirement allowed David significant opportunity for travel, especially on cruises with Sheila, in North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. David owned various travel trailers over 30 plus years and enjoyed winters RVing in Texas and local “Good Sam Club” campground meet ups. He introduced his children to RVing in the 1980s, and later shared his love for RVing with his grandchildren.
Huge thanks to David’s sister Judi Fielding, and brother-in-law, Larry Fielding, who provided David significant support, and significantly improved his quality of life in the final few years. Thank you to staff of Simkin Centre who provided excellent care of David during his final year. For those who choose, donations can be made to the Simkin Centre or Jewish Child and Family Services. Further details: e_bloomfield@yahoo.ca
Obituaries
ANNETTE FREDA MINUK (NEE MASSIE) June 25, 1924 – December 21, 2024
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Mother who left us peacefully on December 21, 2024 at the age of 100. She was laid to rest beside her late husband Harry at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. Pallbears attending were Kevin Minuk, Blake Minuk, Hayley Trenholm, Doug West, Simmie Globerman and Keith Levit.
Annette is survived by her children, Arlene West (Doug), Sheldon (Shoshana), Jeffrey (Harriet); grandchildren Kimberley (Chris) Kevin (Simmie), Blake (Chelsea), Hayley (Chris) and Harel; her great grandchildren Kyler, Krewyn, Charlotte, Annie, Lachlan and sister in law Yetta Levit. She was predeceased by her husband Harry, her parents Rebecca and Dalton, her brother Jack Massie, brothers and sisters in law, Max and Clara Zamick, Norman and Molly Lachter, Norman and Goldie Minuk, Evie and Jack Rosenbaum and Jack Levit.
Annette was truly one of a kind. She was a warm and loving person whose kindness touched the lives of everyone who knew her.
Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to her family always putting their needs ahead of hers. She was always there for all the kids and grandkids activities over the years. She was present at countless milestones and activities, celebrating every achievement with unwavering pride and joy. Her wisdom and compassion were a guiding light, and she had the extraordinary ability to make everyone feel special, valued and deeply loved. She will be remembered for her generous heart, infectious smile and the countless memories that will forever live in our hearts.
Mom will be missed each and everyday, but now she is with our Dad where she wanted to be.
As we say goodbye, we celebrate her remarkable life and the enduring legacy of love she leaves behind. Her spirit will continue to inspire us, and she will always be cherished and missed.
Obituaries
LOUIS ELFENBAUM March 12, 1936 – December 9, 2024
With great sadness, we announce the passing of Dr. Louis Elfenbaum. Louis was a popular Professor of Kinesiology at California State University, Sacramento. He taught for 38 years and then retired and moved to San Diego, California, with his wife, Elizabeth.
Born in rural Lipton, Saskatchewan, on March 12, 1936, Louis was the youngest of six children of Abraham and Dora Elfenbaum. With his siblings, Louis braved the harsh Canadian climate to maintain the family farm.
At age 14, Louis moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he lived with his sister and attended St. John’s High School. In high school, Louis was extremely popular, an excellent student, an accomplished athlete, and was voted school president.
After high school, Louis studied at Manitoba Teachers’ College and began his teaching career. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Bemidji State College in Minnesota, followed by a Master of Science in Physical Education from the University of North Dakota. He earned his Doctorate in Kinesiology from Ohio State University in 1966. His early professorships were at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M) and prestigious McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
In 1970, Louis accepted a full professorship at California State University, Sacramento where he taught Kinesiology for close to four decades. During his tenure as a professor, Louis pursued his interest in law, earning his J.D. degree from Lincoln Law School in 1982.
Louis cared deeply about his students, offering a special lecture about life that attracted students not only from his department, but also from the entire university. He valued intellectual curiosity and fostered that spirit in his students as well as his four children, who have all pursued higher education earning advanced degrees.
Louis had a magnetic personality. He was kind, patient, generous, caring, honest and selfless. Those attributes had a lasting positive impact on everyone he met. He was adored by his family including his children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins, who greatly valued his wisdom, his guidance and his unconditional love.
Louis is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Lefcort, (pre-deceased by his ex-wife Esther—d. 2018–and mother of) his four children, Adrian Elfenbaum (JoAnne Winter), Ian Elfenbaum (Susan Adler), Marcia Elfenbaum, Pamela Elfenbaum (David Klein), 2 stepchildren, 13 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
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