Obituaries
ESTHER KATZ
With deep sadness we announce the sudden and peaceful passing of Esther Katz on December 15, 2022, at the age of 92. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Fay-Lynn Katz, (Martin Krawitz), her grand-children, Matthew (Desiree), Cara (David Coodin), Jonathan (Rachel), great-grand-children, Miles, Lyla and Phoebe, sister-in-law, Thelma Shore, nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her parents, Edie and Minnie Shore, her husband, Morris, her two sons, David and Philip, and her brother, Victor Shore.
Esther was born in Winnipeg and had a happy childhood. She grew up alongside her big brother in a family home where all Jewish customs and traditions were observed. As a teenager she joined a Jewish youth group, where she met the love of her life, Morris. They married in 1951 and shared a wonderful life, blessed with the company of family and friends. Together, Morris and Esther ran Y-Not Grocery across from the University of Winnipeg, where the store still stands. They enjoyed travelling, especially with Victor and Thelma. Esther and Morris lovingly raised their two sons, providing them with Jewish education and instilling in both strong Jewish values.
Esther was a brave, resilient and independent woman. Although she suffered a number of tragic losses, after each she found the strength to move forward. Her youngest son, David, died suddenly in 1982; her husband, Morris, in 1985; and her son, Philip, in 2014. Throughout all of this adversity, Esther bravely soldiered on.
Esther maintained many lifelong friendships through neighbourhood activity, mah-jong, Bnai Brith Women’s bowling, National Council of Jewish Women, the YMHA Stay Young Club , the Shaarey Zedek seniors group and volunteer work .
Esther loved to walk, do crosswords, read, play cards and play games on the computer. She taught her grandchildren many card games. She was an amazing baker and shared her cookies with everyone. She loved to travel and visited many continents in her lifetime. Esther also enjoyed annual summer visits with her Toronto relatives at their cottage on Lake Muskoka. Above all else, Esther loved her family and, after the loss of her youngest son and husband, her focus became her son, Philip, daughter in-law, Fay-Lynn, and triplet grandchildren. Along with Fay-Lynn’s parents, Toby and Mayer Gutwilik, with whom she shared a very close friendship, Esther partnered in assisting to raise the triplets.
Esther was a wonderful and devoted grandmother who spent much of her time with her grandchildren, babysitting, crafting, playing cards and games, reading and driving them wherever they needed to go. She was blessed to have been at the triplets’ important events growing up, to have attended their b’nai mitvah, graduations, to have danced at their weddings and ultimately, to have met her great- grandchildren, Miles, Lyla and Phoebe.
Esther’s warm smile, her loving and sweet nature will be forever missed and remembered by her daughter-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
The family would like to extend its appreciation and gratitude to the Shaftesbury Retirement Residence, the Simkin Centre, and to special caregivers, Merlyn and Lisa.
Graveside funeral services were held at the Rosh Pina Memorial Park on December 19, 2022, officiated by Rabbi Leibl. Pallbearers were Matthew Katz, Jonathan Katz, David Coodin, Ian Shore, Sheldon Mindell, and Bernie Adelman.
For those wishing, donations in Esther’s memory may be made to the Morris and Esther Katz Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
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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