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
KEVIN PAUL STEINBERG June 1, 1967 – October 29, 2025
It is with deep love and sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Kevin Steinberg (O’Neil) on October 29, 2025 at the age of 58 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He will be forever remembered by his mom Donna, sister Debbie (Marc), brother Jeff (Jocelyn), nieces and nephews, Josh (Dena), Zach, Samantha (Sean), Jaidyn, Jordyn, Jilliyn, Jayson and great-nephew Benny, his aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends across Winnipeg, Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palm Springs and beyond. Kevin was predeceased by his dad Eddie and stepdad Ernest.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Kevin moved to Toronto at 19 years of age. He attended Ryerson Theatre School and quickly earned his Equity and ACTRA cards. After winning the U.S. Green Card Lottery he moved to Los Angeles. Within a couple of years he appeared on Seinfeld, Frasier, Married with Children and more. He later worked behind the scenes in TV and film. Kevin also had a great job in catering and told fun stories of the famous people he worked for in L.A.
In 2006 Kevin returned home to Winnipeg, where he continued acting and design. He later moved back to Toronto to join a design firm. It was there he was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare head and neck cancer. Despite his diagnosis, Kevin lived fully – auditioning, writing and travelling. During COVID he launched a podcast – Everyday Heroes. He also shared cooking videos, learned to sketch and kept creating. Kevin thrived, inspiring everyone around him with his resilience, humour and zest for life. Kevin always lived “in the moment”, he embraced life as it came. He will be remembered for his creativity, humour, courage and the joy he brought to everyone around him.
The family would like to thank Dr. Michael Hochman, CancerCare Manitoba, Lisa and the whole team at Palliative Care, Rabbi Matthew Leibl, Chapel Lawn Funeral Home and MAID.
Kevin requested that donations be made to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation www.accrf.org
Obituaries
Howard Lorne Tennenhouse March 7, 1956 – October 16, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Howard (Howie) Lorne Tennenhouse. He passed away on October 16, 2025, after a courageous ten-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Howie fought with every ounce of strength and determination he had.
Born on March 7, 1956, Howie earned his BA from the University of Winnipeg in 1976 and his law degree from the University of Manitoba in 1979. While attending the University of Manitoba, he met his devoted partner, Susan. After dating for five years they were married on November 14, 1982. Susan and Howie supported one another throughout their life together, and she stood by his side with unwavering devotion until the very end.
Howie was the proud father of three daughters and sons-in-law, Lauren (Jesse), Ellie (Evan), and Shira (Gideon) and the adoring Zaida How, to Jack, Joey, Charlotte (Charlie), and Brandon (Bran). He is also survived by his two sisters, Judy Mahon (and her family) and Penny Tennenhouse (Bill). Howie’s family was his greatest joy and the center of his world, and to his family he was a fierce protector and the most enthusiastic supporter.
Outside of his love for family, Howie’s heart belonged in Israel. He took immense pride in seeing the love of Israel and Jewish traditions passed down from his parents to his children and grandchildren.
Howie’s funeral was held on Sunday , October 19, 2025 at the Etz Chayim Synagogue with burial at the Rosh Pina Cemetery. Thank you to Rabbi Kliel Rose and to the pallbearers Morley Hoffman, Alden Hoffman, Joey Pollock, Harvey Oman, Evan Reinblatt, and Jesse Marantz. A big thank you to the doctors at Cancer Care Manitoba who worked tirelessly to care for Howie, and the incredible team at the Riverview Palliative Ward. A special heartfelt thank you to Dr. Qamar for her devotion to Howie. Your care and kindness meant the world to the entire family.
Donations in Howie’s memory can be made to Cancer Care Manitoba or to Riverview Palliative Care Ward 3E.
Howie was a passionate, loving, and larger-than-life presence. He will always be missed and never forgotten.
Obituaries
HARRY KREEL April 9, 1927 – October 20, 2025
It is with profound sadness that the family of Harry Kreel announces his passing on October 20, 2025 at the age of 98 years. He was predeceased by his parents, Ben and Rebecca Kreel; his brothers, Isadore and Boris Kreel; and his beloved wife Myrna, to whom he was married for 68 years.
Left to mourn his passing are his daughter Eileen; his son Darrell (Nicole); and his grandson Benjamin Kreel.
Harry was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan and moved to Winnipeg in his early 20s. He spent his career in education. He was the Director of Special Education for the Winnipeg School Division, Principal of R.B. Russell Vocational School and he also taught in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba.
Our parents loved to travel, and throughout their lives they travelled extensively throughout Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. Upon his retirement, he and our mother were able to spend many wonderful winters in Palm Springs, as well as many visits to New York to visit family. The highlight for them was their trip to Israel, which was something they had always wanted to do, and they did.
Funeral Services were held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, graveside at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. We would like to express our sincerest thanks to Rabbi Carney Rose for officiating and for delivering a most beautiful and heartfelt service.
To the pallbearers, you know who you are, and we would like to thank you for being there for our father. We would also, at this time, like to thank the wonderful staff of Weinberg I at the Simkin Centre. You treated our father with the utmost kindness, respect, dignity and compassion, and for that we will be forever grateful. And last but certainly not least, to Sheryl, Tia, and Victoria Levine, to Leslie Stokoloff and Joe Lacey, we will be forever grateful for all your love and support during this most difficult time.
Should anyone so desire, donations may be made in our father’s memory to the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre or CancerCare Manitoba.