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Obituaries

LAWRENCE WERIER

Lawrence Werier passed away at home in Winnipeg on Wednesday, November 6 at the age of 98.
We thought he might live to 100, but it was not to be. Even though he was diminished by dementia in recent years, he still sparkled with an indomitable spirit that could not be missed, whether he was dancing with his many beloved caregivers or sitting quietly with his wife or children. He brought an intense energy to everything he accomplished, such as building a business, making a sale, playing tennis or scuba diving in some remote location.
His work at Goldin and Company was both challenging and joyful, and his entrepreneurial creativity brought him to Asia regularly, where he had close friends in Hong Kong and Taiwan. He married Eddy in 1949, and she remained the love of his life. They traveled the world together on many exotic trips, and in each place he would seek out adventure and fun. He was a force of life and an energetic presence who kept working and living and devouring experiences, always insisting that “the cup is half full.”
Many remember Lawrence as a great storyteller because he could never resist the impulse to share his exciting escapades with others. He didn’t retire until the age of 83, and even after formally ending his business, he continued to wheel and deal from home. In all of these passionate endeavors, he always had time for his children and grandchildren when they came to visit. His love of family was profound, and he demonstrated this love by generously bringing everyone together—children, spouses, grandchildren and Eddy—at treasured family gatherings in Costa Rica, St. Lucia and Mexico.
In recent days, people have reacted almost with astonishment that Lawrence has passed away, as if such a powerful energy might continue. We feel his loss deeply, along with his many friends in Winnipeg and beyond.
Lawrence is survived by his wife, Eddy, and his children, Kerry, Cliff and Jodie, and their spouses, Suzanne, Sabrina, and Michael. He is missed by his two granddaughters, Cynthia (her partner, Matt) and Alex. Lawrence was predeceased by his beloved grandson Koby. Lawrence had many wonderful caregivers at “the Shafts,” too numerous to mention, but Tess Braun was his special friend and honorary daughter, to whom the family is grateful beyond words. Tess, Chris, Mavis, Jonathon and Jules made him comfortable in his final days, and we extend thanks to them all.
Donations in his memory can be made to Shalom Residences (shalomresidences.com).

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Obituaries

LAURA LORETTA RICHMAN

Laura Richman (née Newhouse) was born on May 2, 1932 and, after a rich life, passed away on December 10th at Grace Hospital, the same place that she was born to her loving parents, Alex and Annie Newhouse. Laura was the oldest of 4 children and is survived by her brother Jack Newhouse (wife Deannie) and sister Myrna Reinhorn (predeceased by husband Leonard). She was predeceased by her sister Tyra Rauch (predeceased by husband Peter Rauch) and her beloved husband of 57 years, Harold Richman. Laura is survived by her children: Joy Richman (predeceased by husband Euan Taylor), Sally Slater and her husband Michael Slater, Rebecca Richman and her husband Dov Lazar, as well as 4 grandchildren: Matthew Slater, Samara Slater, Teagan Richman-Taylor and Phoebe Richman-Taylor.
Laura had a wonderful life in Winnipeg that was enriched by generations of close family surrounding her from the start of her life. Laura grew up on Jessie Avenue in a tiny house, within walking distance of her father’s corner store on Corydon, also Kelvin High School. When Laura turned 19, she took a solo trip to New York that established hers as an independent, modern woman of the 1940s. Laura decided to become an x-ray technician, a new imaging technology at the time. She trained and worked at the historic Mount Carmel Clinic, which provides services to families to this day. Laura married Harold in 1953 and kept working for 2 years up to the birth of Joy. When Laura was a new mother, she spent many happy days with her lifelong girlfriends who were also new mothers. In those hectic early days, with two young toddlers at home, Laura started volunteering for Jewish causes. In 1958 she joined the Golda Meir Chapter of the Hadassah WIZO, where she became president. Laura and Harold chose to send their children to the I.L. Peretz Folk Shul. At that time one generation of Richmans attended the same school so the connection was carried forward to Joy, Sally and Rebecca. From those Yiddish days at the Peretz School, Laura developed a burning desire to strengthen the Jewish community. She went onto co-chair the Women’s division of the Combined Jewish Appeal in 1978-1979 with her dear friend Evelyn Pearlman. Laura became president of the Winnipeg chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) in 1988, the same year that the Gwen Secter Centre for Creative Living opened. Laura and Harold were founding members of the Gwen Secter Centre, which continues to provide services for seniors to the present day. During her time in the NCJW, Laura worked closely with Sharon Allentuck and other strong women who also became president. The culmination of Laura’s endeavors came in 2004, when she was awarded the Max and Molly Shore Tzedakah award for her outstanding charitable work in the Winnipeg Jewish community.
Charitable work and family were the backbone of Laura’s adult life but that is not all. She was a very energetic person who packed so much into her life. Laura was a regular player in a highly competitive Tuesday night Bridge club that lasted until she was well into her 80s. She was also a passionate golfer, spending many weekends at Bel Acres and Glendale golf clubs with her husband and her golf friends. Laura became such a good golfer that she had a career total of 6 holes in one. Laura also built an equally busy life in Sun City West, Arizona, with Harold, where she kept her golf and fitness going in the winter. It was in Sun City West that Laura took up her most recent passion, quilting. Those winters in Arizona gave Laura the time to produce dozens of colourful quilts that adorn the houses of her children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren.
Laura’s happy life was reflected in her personality. She had a strong drive to do her best for others in her family and beyond. She generously hosted family and community events at her house. She supported family members through the difficult times. Laura was an inspiration for her daughters and they picked up her qualities of grit, lifelong learning, maintaining close friendships, and the pursuit of many interests. Laura was fiercely independent until close to the end. We are grateful to the care givers that looked after Laura in her condo for the last 2 years. Daughters Joy, Sally and Rebecca will miss Laura. They take comfort in knowing that she lived to see all her girls happy and settled in their lives.
Donations in Laura’s name can be made to the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba – Harold and Laura Richman Fund, or to the Mount Carmel Clinic.

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Obituaries

RICHARD MICHAEL RICE February 8, 1947 – November 30, 2024

On Saturday, November 30, Richard Michael Rice, only son of Edward and Celia Rice passed away with his family by his side.
Dad leaves behind his best friend, the love of his life, and his wife of 55 years, Melissa (née Malchy). Richard and Melissa met as children, fell in love as teenagers, and spent every second since then deeply and madly in love.
Dad also leaves behind six children, the oldest three of whom he welcomed and loved as his own after the early passing of his sister and her husband, Glorianne and Gerald Robinovitch. Jennifer (David), Stephen (Rachel), and Hart (Ronee) Robinovitch; Danielle (Kevin), Aimee (Chris), and Brynn (Jordan) Rice idolized, looked up to him, and relied on his sage advice. Mostly though, we appreciated his wicked sense of humour, his gorgeously rich anecdotes, and the deep rumble of his voice during lullabies and bedtime stories.
Richard set high standards for himself, whether in work, education, his friendships, travel, or his many hobbies (from horseback riding to biking to golf to watching sports), which all in the family tried to emulate. All of his grandchildren (Molly, Edward, Leo, Celia, Jordan, Sydney, Gabrielle, Kaila, Sydney, Ari, Matthew, and Noah) looked up to him with love and respect and each seemed to bring out different sides of his playful nature, humour, curiosities, and strong mentoring abilities. Always interested in what each was accomplishing and personally passionate about, he gave endless support and let them know how much he truly cared about the unique paths they were taking. He was also extremely fond of the family’s English Springer Spaniels (Mac, Cooper, Maggie, Baxter, and Holly), providing endless opportunities for him to show his gentle love and leadership.
Dad was ridiculously proud of his children and their achievements, and being able to see his grandchildren grow up to engage with him in debates and bring him new ideas was a source of great joy. And the feeling is more than mutual. Dad has always provided us with a strong example of how to live a life well lived and often served as a guide as we faced challenges and decisions.
In addition to pursuing a PhD in Anthropology at Brown University, Dad was a successful and accomplished lawyer, but to him, that wasn’t as important as his role as head of the Rice family. He held deep regard for his relationships with his beloved sister Tama Werner and his sister-in- law, Naneve Hawke (Michael).
Despite 80-hour work weeks, dad always made time for family. From family dinners to coaching sports teams, to sharing videos he thought were funny, to watching movies, including one of his favourites, The Princess Bride, to taking us to Kelekis, dad was always present. Summers at the family cottage on Lake Winnipeg in Gimli provided the ideal setting for the family to spend time together and for him and Melissa totake the kids and grandchildren for long walks down the beach or to the pier for ice cream.
We – and dad- are grateful for the friends who continued to support him throughout his illness, to Rabbi Matthew Leibl for encouraging dad to reconnect with his faith, and to the entire care teams at Deer Lodge’s PRIME Program, Simkin Centre, and Victoria Hospital.
Dad always managed to find delight in every situation. Even the worst experience magically transformed through his voice into a humorous story. Dad would be laughing so hard at his own joke that we would have to wait for him to finish laughing before he could conclude his tale.
He would not want us to mourn. He would want us to hold our loved ones a little closer, find the joy and wonder in small things, and remember him with love and humour.
As you wish, dad. As you wish.

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Obituaries

NINA CHISVIN June 6, 1932 – November 24, 2024

After a full life well-lived, Nina Chisvin (née Globerman) passed away peacefully at the age of 92.Predeceased
by her beloved parents, Maishel and Raichel Globerman, her siblings and
their spouses, Morley and Dintzie Globerman, Esther and Irv Nisenholt,
Abe and Naomi Globerman. Left to mourn are her cherished husband Allan,
her children, Ellen Thompson, Sorel Friedman (Avi), and David Thompson
(Susan). Joining in their profound grief are her grandchildren, Paloma
and Ben Friedman, Corey Glasberg, and Piper and Belle Riley Thompson
(Michaela). Many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends are also bereft.
Also mourning her loss are Allan’s children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren, whom she loved as her own.Funeral services were held Tuesday, November 26 at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.

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