Obituaries
ARTHUR SIDNEY GILLMAN born January 28, 1934 – died March 30, 2019
Arthur was the eldest son of Maurice and Ida Gillman; brother of Alec Gillman and Thomas Harold Gillman, who predeceased Arthur and Alec.
He leaves behind his wife of 60 years Louise (Fineblit) Gillman; children Avery Gillman (Winnipeg), and Susan Kayesar (husband Tal, Kfar Warburg, Israel); and beloved grandchildren Eitan, Shaked, Hadassah and Ilan Kayesar.
Arthur was loved and admired by many relatives; and numerous friends across Canada, the US and Israel. He was a true Renaissance man who read widely and thought deeply about public policy, mathematics, systems analysis, music, history, philosophy, politics, education, chess, mind-body integration, economics, statistics, self improvement, Shakespeare, … “the universe and all that”.
Arthur’s great joy was sharing his insights, his wisdom and knowledge with anyone who would listen and hold a conversation about it, especially his grandchildren. “Let me send you a reference about that” was a frequent phrase. He read voluminously. When the Internet came along, it opened huge horizons of knowledge to Arthur. He was a man with no vanity, strong intellectual curiosity, and was interested in people from all walks of life and all over the world. He was always trying to repair the world’s injustices by improving the systems, not just patching up parts. His motto was: “To thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” (Shakespeare).
Arthur was very family oriented. He valued his friendships. He was a violinist and a chess player. He was a strong follower of the Feldenkrais method of mind-body integration. Arthur had many hobbies and interests, too numerous to list here. He was a strong supporter of Israel and Judaism.
After reading the Club of Rome’s Report – “The Limits to Growth”, in 1972 and Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”, Arthur was persuaded that we humans are damaging our planet and did what he could to raise awareness. He helped to mitigate some of that environmental damage during his consultant days.
Arthur’s career path had many twists and turns. He delivered two newspapers as a boy. He became a disk jockey at a drive-in movie theatre. He was an itinerant photographer – taking photos of people at their work and selling them the pictures. Of course, he had his own darkroom and did his own developing. When Arthur dropped out of high school before completing it, he became a cook’s helper at the Bay. Eventually Arthur figured out this was not working well for him. His grandfather, Isaac Gilman, persuaded him to become a Chartered Accountant. Upon completion, Arthur worked for the tax office for a while, and then opened an independent office.
After Arthur and Louise married in 1959, Arthur enrolled at the University of Manitoba where he was able to follow his lifelong interests in Philosophy, Mathematics, Economics, and Statistics. His Master’s Degree thesis was on water resources management. After that, he taught Econometrics for a couple of years in the Faculty of Agriculture. Arthur then returned to pursue his PhD.
Before completing his doctoral thesis he was lured away to the Manitoba Civil Service to work at the Economic Development Advisory Board. Those were the glory days of the Ed Schreyer NDP government, which attracted many well educated social reform idealists from across Canada, who perceived an opportunity to improve people’s lives. They developed many new social initiatives.
Arthur started the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics which he used as a springboard to establish a number of innovative projects. Arthur was called the Father of Autopac, now MMPI.
Arthur ran a very successful trial in Dauphin to provide a Guaranteed Annual Income. Sadly, the Conservative government that succeeded the NDP closed the project down before the data were published.
When he left government, he started his own consulting company, Delphi Consultative Surveys and Research (International) Ltd. He developed his own methodology based on advanced mathematical, statistical and econometric foundations. He wrote his own computer software analytical programs for the data he collected. He did significant work for clients throughout Canada, the US and Great Britain. He did pro bono work for social organizations that were in keeping with Arthur’s values.
Many of his clients and people he met while traveling became his good friends over the years.
As Arthur’s health declined from the effects of Post Polio syndrome (he had Polio when he was seven years old) and hereditary diabetes. He traveled less but still continued his research, teaching and networking, closer to home and over the Internet.
Sadly, Arthur developed serious new health problems following surgery on April 2 this year and ended his days in the Palliative Care Unit 3 East at Riverview Health Centre, still trying to impart the importance and excitement of Fuzzy Logic and Bayes Theorem as well as the philosophical aspects of death and dying to his young doctors and nurses and his visitors. Arthur was buried June 2, 2019 at Bnay Abraham Cemetery in Winnipeg
We salute you Arthur! When you were around, life was full of wonder and interesting ideas.
Your ironic sense of humor got us through a lot of challenges.
Rest in peace.
We have so many people that we are grateful for:
Thank you to the Home Care aides who looked after Arthur with such care and kindness while he was at home, especially Rolando, Hailu and Gomeches. Thank you to the Home Care nurses, especially Ksenja, and to his Case Coordinator, BiNa.
Thank you to Arthur’s barber Sharon, and his foot care nurse Lori, who provided cheerful caring services to him at home.
Thank you to the knowledgeable doctors at Health Sciences Centre who tried to save Arthur but couldn’t.
Thank you to family and friends who have surrounded us with love and support and offerings of food, companionship, rides and other things – especially my brother Allan, sister Shirley, and friend Lynne.
Thank you to the friends living far away from Winnipeg who sent messages that I read to Arthur. Your words gave us both great pleasure. Thank you to two Toronto friends who attended Arthur’s funeral – Doug and Nathan.
Thank you to our daughter Susan who brought our grandchildren from Israel for a magical 10 day visit during which we laughed together, sang, told stories, and gave Arthur the chance do his final teaching.
Thank you to our son Avery who had his own health challenges at the same time that Arthur got sick but visited and offered support as best as he could. Thank you to friends and family who helped Avery with transportation.
Thank you to all the wonderful staff of 3 East – doctors, nurses, aides, students. You offered Arthur comfort, compassion, respect and dignity while dying. You helped us immeasurably to make the best of a bad situation. A special thanks to Dr. Robin McClure who really “grocked” Arthur.
Thank you to our new friend Kathy, who provided massages to Arthur in his last days that made him say: My body feels like air.
Thank you to Shelley at Etz Chaim Synagogue who helped us to arrange the funeral and burial; and to Rabbi Kliel Rose who conducted the funeral with great sensitivity.
If I have left someone out of the list, please know that we are grateful for your help and kindnesses.
If you wish to honor Arthur’s memory, please send donations to a fund that we have set up at the Riverview Health Centre Foundation. It will provide financial help to give alternative integrative care to patients on 3 East, the Palliative Care Unit, who could not otherwise afford it. This is comfort care beyond what basic health care offers. To donate, you may phone the Foundation at 204-478-6271 or online at www.give2rhcf.ca or mail to Riverview Health Centre Foundation, 1 Morley Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3L 9Z9
Obituaries
MORLEY JACOBS APRIL 16, 1941 – JUNE 26, 2025
With deep reluctance to post his passing, our adored Moishe who fought to stay as long as possible, left us, in the early hours of June 26th; while his presence resides in memories, the activities he pursued in the purposeful life he lived, remain.
He never lost the use of his affable charming smile under his blue eyed gaze; an intent listener, even in his last days, who made you feel seen and heard. To be known by Morley was a privilege; to have been his friend often felt like walking with a prince of angels, when he spoke less and listened more.
Dr. J as his students over the years would tell you, he was the kind of mentor you could trust. His passion for excellence in education was intense and generous, inspiring his students with their own potential to realize a career.
A PhD in Biochemistry, Morley lectured in classes and labs at RRCC, where he connected one by one, year after year with a multitude of young people. Reaching beyond this, Morley successfully petitioned the provincial government and won the retention of the Biochemistry Department at RRCC, following which he expanded the opportunities for students on practicum in this field, through a Jobs co-operative program. In the Biology/Chemistry Departments at U of W, as the Co-op Coordinator, Morley developed the program within the province and beyond for graduate students in applied Sciences Degrees.
In subsequent years, he connected graduates of the RRCC course, who wished to continue in Biochemistry in a reciprocal agreement to earn and achieve a Bachelor Degree in Biochemistry at University.
For 13 consecutive years, between1989 to 2002, Morley served as an elected School Trustee in the Seven Oak School system. He was an educational activist working on multiple committees, knew the principals and teaching staff at each school, always searching for increasing student successand a long time proponent for Year-round Education.
Through those years, Morley attended dozens of schools, personally documenting results of their YRE programs.
Selected to serve as the chairperson on a variety of boards, including the Seven Oaks School Board, he took on each role with dedicated time, organizing, improving, and encouraging an elevated standard of public service. His days were filled well into the evenings, with volunteer work and on weekends when he decided to partner with like minded friends, he brought computer tutors and kids together with an early learning education opportunity.
Along with all of that work, Morley found time to run the Boston Marathon to raise funds for the I.L. Peretz School in 1978 was a long time member of the CIC and served as Mid-Canada AOAC President. A lifetime believer in blood donations, Morley was honored as a distinguished citizen with humanitarian recognition, for the number of donations he gave over the years. On retirement, he researched and developed a Greenhouse Nutrition project to improve food sourcing for Northern communities and in that same period, spent 8 years writing a book, he hoped would be a legacy for people to understand the biochemistry of nutrition, “The Guide: To Understanding Nutrition and the Body’s Response to Food”, which he published in 2018.
He was still busy enjoying his first years in his eighth decade, planning future trips, and long walks with whomever wanted to come along, staying fit and eating well on his early morning rise, when he would be proactively planning the day; he loved life.
He believed each day was the privilege to make choices that made a positive difference to the people you loved and the work that you did. Through all of those decades, the longest number of them, he spent as a playful guy with our adored kids and grandkids. In hundreds of family photographs, he was the playmate in any game, goofy in every dress up, airplane ride giver, stellar hide and seek player, breakfast every morning maker, unabashed Karaoke singer, and the guy you wanted when you needed someone to make things right.
Born in Portage la Prairie, the third child of Abraham and Rebecca Jacobs, in 1950, Morley
moved with his family to Winnipeg, his older siblings, brother Joe (OBM), sister Toba Isler (resides in Florida), settled in at 529 Rupertsland, where he made many lasting friendships over his lifetime. Raised with strong Jewish beliefs in an observant and caring family home, he studied at Talmud Torah, excelled at school, and acquired the foundations for community, family, honorability in character, and the value of knowledge.
Morley considered it fate that we met on his 18th birthday at a Rec-room party in 1956. Nine years later, we married at the Shaarey Zedek, on May 2nd, 1965.
Husband who treasured the miracle of us, who supported the fulfillment our mutual dreams, he was my person who stepped up in all of our critical hours, my trained Lamaze partner for the birth of our children; we were two young people, who raised each other higher as we grew older together. When we met it was instantaneous friendship and when we married, it was a bond of mutual adoration, with all of those glorious years together, sixty nine of them, whatever happened, our togetherness was a state of being that nurtured us all.
Beloved by his nieces, Pam Weinroth (Robert), Rhonda Kupfer (Sam), and nephews, Scott Jacobs (Heidi) and Mark Jacobs, for whom he was an active uncle, visiting whenever he could as they grew up and married, happily around long enough to play with their children.
Mahjong sit-in player for any game, Morley was a cribbage master, who did a daily Sudoku-chess and a cipher quiptoquote, while at the same time; he was a researcher par excellence who was able to make the most complex biochemistry understandable. Strong and agile, he was an athlete from youth, a track star and marathon runner, in high school a basketball player while through his life a huge fan of baseball and hockey, he was noted in his early teens as an avid ping pong player.
For all the years people knew him he was humble with his own notable achievements academically, but remained generous with intellectual sharing, correcting only with honorable concerns. It was his ease in praising and engaging in progressions that valued excellence, through all of his years, daily, Morley was the legacy of his smiles of confidence for others. Morley was a guy who frequented the pleasure of being forever joyous with children, and as every family pet could avow, he was the doted upon favorite.
His time here blessed everyone and everything, and we know he would hope to inspire that in others.
Etched into our collective family sharing of him, we are his memory keepers held to our own souls with enduring honor for how he conducted himself in his life, evermore: Children, Stephanie Jacobs-Lockhart and Morrison Jacobs; our son-in-law, Darwin Lockhart and daughter-in-law, Jennifer (Lisakowski) Jacobs; and our grandchildren, Jonah Samuel Lockhart, Elle Talia Lockhart, Adli Jayden Jacobs, Mazie Carolyn Jacobs, and me, Bev (Berkal) Jacobs, the woman who had the privilege of him for all of those years, nothing to mourn and everything to remember with joy.
Services were held at the Chesed Shel Emes, and the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, officiated by Rabbi Matthew Leibl, attended by pallbearers, Morrison Jacobs, Adli Jacobs, Darwin Lockhart, Mark Makarovsky, Michael Meyers, and Mark Kogan.
Donations in memoriam may be made to a charity of your choice.
We know his spirit will continue to be a blessing for all, if there was a way his neshamah would find it; to be the valiant progenitor for a great renewal in this world, in peace, love and humanism.
Obituaries
ETTIE (EDDY) WERIER
Ettie Werier passed away in her sleep on July 25, 2025, at the Shaftesbury Park Retirement Residence in Winnipeg.
She will be hugely missed by her many friends and her family. Eddy was predeceased by her husband Lawrence, her younger sister Naomi (Wolfe), her older sister Sherry (Chochinov), her parents Max and Annie and her beloved grandson Koby.
Born Ettie Rubinfield in Ustryke Dolne, Poland in 1928, Eddy arrived in Winnipeg in 1931. She spent her childhood in the North End, where her parents ran a little grocery store on Alfred Avenue. She grew up to be a beautiful young woman with a warm smile and a quick mind.
She met Lawrence Werier, the love of her life, on a train ride to Winnipeg Beach. Eddy obviously wanted adventure, otherwise she would not have chosen Lawrence to be her beloved husband of more than 75 years, because he was always unconventional, but somehow this fit her perfectly. They were married in 1949 and started a family in 1952. While raising three children in River Heights, Eddy often travelled the world with Lawrence, visiting countless out-of-the-way beaches and dozens of countries.
Eddy had a quiet charisma. Maybe it was the mischievous sparkle in her eye or some droll bit of storytelling but all were attracted to her goodness, kindness and wit. Eddy was known for her intelligence, competitive spirit, and love for her family. She was an accomplished bridge player, and whether competing online or with her “bridge ladies,” she played to win, even on her last day. She was never an athlete, but at the age of 50 she took up tennis and became a force to be reckoned with until she retired her racket due to bad knees at the age of 85.
Eddy spent the last few years of her life enjoying the community at the Shaftesbury Residence and developed a strong and loving relationship with her companion and caregiver Tess Braun who is grieving the loss alongside the family, including Eddy’s surviving brother Jack Rubinfield. The family will especially miss the generous love and support she gave her children Kerry, Clifford and Jodie and their life partners Suzanne, Sabrina and Michael, and her grandchildren, Cynthia, Alex and Koby. Whether chatting with Grandma on Facetime or hugging her in her Shaftesbury suite, her family treasured the moments when we could come together in Winnipeg and bask in her smile. If you feel inclined to make a donation in Eddy’s memory, please choose a charity of your choice.
Obituaries
Dr. VELIMIR KON B.Sc., B.Ed., M.Sc., Ph.D. September 18, 1950-June 27, 2025
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dr. Velimir Kon, or Shlomo, beloved husband of Branka and father of Deborah and Lea. Velimir was an accomplished teacher and academic, and he was renowned for his intellectualism, humility and humanity.
A gentle soul who was always sociable and who genuinely loved people, Velimir was equally at home in the university classroom as a professor and as a secondary school Biology, Chemistry and Math teacher in Northern Ontario (Big Trout Lake) and Manitoba (God’s River, Berens River). Velimir made a difference to many First Nations students throughout a career that spanned decades. He was dedicated to his students, colleagues and family. An adept and talented pianist, Velimir enjoyed the arts and of course Jewish humour. He was an avid shul goer and supporter of Israel and enjoyed his duties in shul as a Kohayn. Velimir was a man of faith who was able to fuse his love of science and Judaism.
Born in Croatia, Europe (the former Yugoslavia) to Shoah survivors Rose (Rochel, ne Lederer) and Arnold Kon (Ariel), Velimir immigrated to Canada with his wife and girls in 1988, making many personal sacrifices along the way to ensure a peaceful and safe life for his family. Adaptability and optimism characterized Velimir. Known for his heart of gold, Velimir touched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him. A love of Jewish values, family values and life-long learning and education characterized Velimir. With his charming, outgoing and friendly personality, Velimir welcomed everyone into his life and into our home.
His kindness, humour, generosity and goodness will be deeply missed by his family and friends in Winnipeg, Victoria, B.C., Guelph, ON, Osijek, Croatia, Belgrade, Serbia, Los Angeles and Boston, U.S.A., and Israel, Jerusalem, Haifa and Karmiel. Baruch Dayan Haemet.
A traditional funeral was held on June 30, 2025 at the Hebrew Sick Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can still be made to Chabad Lubavitch of Winnipeg, B’nai Brith or the JNF.
Velimir will be forever missed and cherished by Branka, Deborah and Lea.