Obituaries
LOUISE COHEN
Our mum Louise passed away peacefully on Monday May 4, 2015.
We would have celebrated her 96th birthday on June 6.
Mum was born June 6, 1919 in Manchester England to Leon and Sarah Cohen.
She was born into a loving family and had three sisters, Marion, Faye and Bertha all who predeceased her. She was the “baby” of the family .
She is survived by her husband of 69 years and our Dad Joe.
Harvey and Faye and grandsons Binjamin, Yitzchak and Meir, Marilyn and Alex and granddaughter Cara and husband Steven, great granddaughters Corinna and Luzy and great grandson Zackery.
Mum and Dad had a long and loving relationship and both dearly cherished the family they created together and the extended family of grandchildren and great grandchildren which brought them much pride and pleasure.
They ventured to Australia together as newlyweds, returned to England until 1967 and then decided to make Canada their home.
Throughout her youth and into her eighth decade, Mum loved to dance. She danced in her teens and twenties on stage and in local productions. She met dad on the ballroom dance floor and ballroom dance was their passion together.
She returned to dance in Canada by embracing Jeanette McCoshams “Dance Aerobics” for over 20 years until Parkinson’s disease robbed her of the ability to participate in her ninth decade.
Mum and dad worked very hard all their lives to ensure our beautiful childhood, good education and loving home through all the challenges of adopting a new country as their home.
We will be forever grateful for mum for nurturing us, encouraging us and teaching us the value of close family ties.
She will be forever in our hearts and missed every day of our lives.
Sincere thanks must be expressed to the caring, compassionate and devoted staff at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre for their absolute loving care of Louise over the past three years. Words cannot express our gratitude for your devotion both to mum and all our family especially in the last few few weeks of her life.
Donations in memory of Louise Cohen are gratefully appreciated to the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre, the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre, Parkinson Society of Manitoba , Jewish Foundation of Manitoba , Joe and Louise Cohen family fund or the 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.
Obituaries
ELAINE BEVERLEY KAPLAN
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our sister and aunt, Elaine Kaplan. She died on June 24, just a month shy of her 69th birthday.
She was diagnosed with lung cancer 15 months ago, and was given about six months to live, which she was able to exceed with great courage and determination.
Elaine was predeceased by our father Phil Kaplan and mother Bess Kaplan. She is survived by her brothers Gerry (Nancy Hughes), Allan (Rennie) and Sheldon (Mona), along with her nieces and nephews.
Elaine was able to remain at home up until a few days prior to her passing at the St. Boniface Hospital, which was her wish. She was employed by the Canada Revenue Agency for the majority of her career. She loved nature and was devoted to feeding the neighbourhood squirrels and birds. She also adopted and cared for many rescue rabbits over the years. Her family was important to her, and she loved attending family weddings and barbecues.
Donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or to a pet rescue of your choice.
Obituaries
ALAN KLUNER
Suddenly and unexpectedly, Alan Kluner passed away on July 11, 2025 at the young age of 66. Alan had a very good life despite some ongoing health challenges he met head on for the majority of his life. He loved family and was a very kind and loving son, brother and uncle.
Born in Winnipeg, Alan developed a small but close circle of friends he maintained for many years. His passions were following his sports teams (Jets, Vikings, Bombers) and attending numerous rock concerts.
Alan is survived by his oldest brother Martin (Reesa), his sister-in-law Hanna, his four nephews and nieces Mickey (Stephanie), Corey (Sean), Zev (Kristen), Elana (Danny), and his great-nephews and great-nieces Mason, Lucy, Nora, Remy and Enzo.
He was predeceased by his parents Bill and Phyllis, brother Kerry, and uncle Alvin Mantell.
Alan’s funeral service was graveside at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery on Tuesday July 15, officiated by Rabbi Matthew Leibl. Pallbearers were: Martin Kluner, Mickey Kluner, Corey Kluner, Elana Kluner, Henry Goldfeld, and Alan Levine. Honorary pallbearer was Albert Yanofsky.
For those who wish, donations in Alan’s memory may be made to Diabetes Canada or the charity of your choice.