Obituaries
DR. SIDNEY L. NELKO April 19, 1931 – August 5, 2022
Devoted husband, loving father, distinguished family practitioner/surgeon, and one of the founding doctors of Seven Oaks General Hospital, passed away in Winnipeg at the age of 91 on August 5, 2022.
He was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Gwen in 2020. He is survived by his children, Marni (Nelko) Altman of Vancouver, B.C, and Trevor (Rachelle) Nelko of Plymouth, Minnesota. His grandchildren, Ashton Altman, Tristan and Dylan Nelko. He is also survived by his sister, Claire Granovsky (Breslaw) & Paul Granovsky. He was predeceased by his brothers, Max and Ernie Nelko, and sister, Sonia Yaffe.
Sid was born in Winnipeg on April 19, 1931, after his parents immigrated from Poland in 1927. He attended St. Johns HS and graduated from the University of Manitoba Medical School in 1957. His medical residency in Family Practice was completed in Norristown, Pennsylvania and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He returned to Winnipeg and opened his Family Practice in 1960, that served generations of families until 2005. He also served as a Major in the Canadian Armed Forces in the Militia Medical field. His medical journey also involved the City of Winnipeg’s Health Department, where he attended to police officers and firefighters. He also worked for the Government of Canada as an immigration and medical officer, the Workers Compensation Board, and Provincial Medical Examiner. He finished his medical career working two days a week at a walk-in clinic at age 82.
Sid established himself as a leading family practitioner who was as devoted to his patients as they were to him. Early in his practice, he added a Mickey Mouse pin to his lab coat, which was comforting to his young patients. He was an attentive listener and thoughtful in his responses. He was always impeccably attired as a physician in his suit and tie. He was a lifetime member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and always attended the annual convention with Gwen to further his medical education. He was known as having “surgeon’s hands” in giving vaccinations, as he would distract his patients with conversation, and often they did not know he completed his task. He was blessed to find his calling as a MD and was always available to patients and friends.
While much of his life was defined by his professional excellence and dedication to his patients, it was the final chapter that revealed the full measure of his compassion. Sid devoted the last years of Gwen’s life caring for her as a loyal husband, until her death in 2020. He and Gwen travelled extensively in their marriage and valued their experiences together. Their relationship was strong and enduring in their 59 years of marriage.
Sid had a wonderful sense of humour that was evident in his many funny voices and his spontaneous singing. He had a brilliant mind that prompted him to read many medical journals and books and was exceptional at Trivial Pursuit. He loved to walk and ride his bike in his neighborhood, attend the symphony and theater centre, and work in his yard.
A private service was held, and memorial donations may be made in Sid’s memory to: Seven Oaks General Hospital Foundation, 2300 McPhillips St, Winnipeg, MB, R2V 3M3 (204) 632-3552 or a charity of your choice.
Obituaries
Lorraine Norma Reiner (nee Reich)
It is with deep sorrow that the family of Lorraine Reiner announces the passing of our mother and baba after a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her children, Marlaina (Hillel) and Susan (Wil), her grandchildren, Sarah (Justin), Jordana (Blake), and Micah, and her great grandson, Elias. She was predeceased by her parents Rose and Sam, her husband Barry, her brother Max, her son Sam, and her granddaughters June and Beth.
Lorraine, at her core, was a loving caregiver. Lor-raine‘s father died when she was only eight years old. She grew up helping her mother with household and family chores after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She cared for her mother-in-law, husband, and cousin during their battles with ill-nesses and final stages of life.
We remember Lorraine as a woman whose love for her family knew no limits. She adored her children and grandchildren and formed special bonds with each of them. Her family was everything to her, and she meant the world to her family. She stepped into the role of Baba Lorraine with open arms and an enormous heart; there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children and grandchildren. Lorraine was surrounded by her family during her final stage of life.
Cooking was an important part of Lorraine’s identi-ty. She was most famous for her chicken soup and S-cookies and she loved to spread joy and comfort through sharing her cooking with others. She always had a freezer stocked with homemade meals and anytime a family member felt unwell, she was at the ready with a batch of “Jewish penicillin”.
Lorraine had a diverse and eclectic resume that in-cluded office work for all three Jewish Newspapers, including The Jewish Post, The Western Jewish News, and The Yiddeshe Vort. Later she worked as office staff at Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate and As-troid Management. Her final job was an 11-year tenure as a clerk for the City of Winnipeg’s Assess-ment Department.
Lorraine loved sharing stories with everyone and had a special way of getting lost in a story. Any-one who had the pleasure of listening to one of Lor-raine’s stories knows how her mood instantly lit up when she had the opportunity to share. Her stories, alongside her recipes, will live on through her loved ones.
The funeral was held at the Chesed Shel Emes on Tuesday March 26, followed by a burial service at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Blake Nichols, Justin Odwak, Cal & Asher Reich, Brian Rosenberg, Wil Scheiring, Sean Smith, and Micah Sommer. Honorary pallbearers were Mickey Rosenberg & Alan Schweid.
The family wishes to thank the numerous health-care staff who participated in Lorraine’s care over the past couple of months, especially the wonderful staff at the Health Sciences Centre H3 surgical unit, Drs. Bubis, Goldenberg, Lipschitz, Shell, and Visser.
Obituaries
EDWARD PERRY REISS April 30, 1935 – February 20, 2024
Ed was born in Poland in 1935 and fled to Canada in 1939 with his parents Raizel and Ira and older brothers Harry and Sam. The family settled in Edenbridge, SK where they farmed and where sister Ida was born.
In high school, the family moved to Winnipeg where Ed attended St. John’s before attending the University of Manitoba and finishing at the University of Western Ontario.
In 1968, Ed met his wife Barbara playing badminton at the YMHA. They were married three months later and left for New York where Ed trained as a stockbroker on Wall Street. Returning to Winnipeg, Ed worked as a broker for years before joining Barbara in what became the family business, Desserts Plus. They worked together for close to 40 years.
In 1971 daughter Lisa was born followed by Pam in 1974. Ed loved spending time with his family at their cottage near Kenora or on many road trips around North America and trips around the world. We were blessed and fortunate to be able to enjoy our time together.
Ed is survived by his wife of 55 years, Barbara; daughter Pam and his buddy Farfel, as well as his brother Sam, sister Ida Alpern and in-laws, Len and Lynne Shapiro, Honey Kowall, and nephews and nieces.
Ed was predeceased by his dear daughter Lisa, parents, Raizel and Ira, in-laws, Irene and Joe Shapiro, brother Harry, sisters-in-law, Vicky and Bayla, brothers-in-law, Saul Alpern and David Shapiro.
The family thanks the wonderful staff at the Simkin Centre who were very supportive and caring during his time there. And our deep thanks to Cantor Tracy Kasner for performing the burial ceremony with kindness and sensitivity.
Ed was a man of integrity, intelligence, honesty, wit, and above all else, he loved his girls.
Obituaries
PHILIP KAHANOVITCH
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Philip Kahanovitch in Winnipeg, MB on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Philip will be remembered by his dear son Joshua; brother David; niece and nephews, Deborah, Aaron and Jonathan. Philip was predeceased by his loving wife Susan, parents, Moses and Esther, brother Gerry, and sister-in-law Risa.
Philip was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Philip loved travelling on cruises and throughout both North America and Europe. Philip will be remembered for his career as a teacher in both Altona, Neepawa, and Winnipeg, and for his long standing practice as a professional accountant. Philip adored dogs, particularly terriers, and owned several furry companions over the years, including his beloved Hamish.
Following a service, Philip was interred at Rosh Pina Cemetery. If loved ones desire, a memorial donation can be made to a charity of their choice.
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