It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of our beloved mother and our family matriarch who passed peacefully after a brief illness.
Margot is mourned by her son Harry Rosenbaum (Hope), daughter Ruth Stargardter (Allan), her grandchildren, Trisha (James), Michael (Jennifer), Geoffrey (Robi), Matthew and Shawn and six great-grandchildren; Ethan, Keira, Mya, Zoey, Nathan and Syeira; her brother Gilbert Walter and many nieces, nephews and their families. Mom was predeceased by our father, her loving husband, David, her brothers, Hans and Werner, sisters-in law, brothers-in-law, as well as 152 members of her family who perished in the Holocaust.
Mom was born in Berlin, Germany. She was a devoted daughter and sister. She loved many things including learning, being with friends as well as going to synagogue with her parents. Mom was especially inspired by the education she received from her mentor, Rabbi Regina Jonas, the first Jewish female Rabbi. Her life changed drastically during the reign of Adolph Hitler, beginning with being identified as a Jewish student and ridiculed and dragged out of school by her hair and forced into slave labour, at the age of 13.
During the horrors of the Holocaust Mom was blessed to meet and fall in love with our father, David. Eventually, after the war the family immigrated to Winnipeg to start a new life. They had many dreams and wishes which they were determined to fulfil together.
Our parents arrived in Canada penniless. Over the next seventy five years they worked hard to build a life that could only be described as a magical romantic fairy tale. You rarely saw one without the other. Watching them dance with that special sparkle in their eyes demonstrated their love for each other. Dad was mom’s knight in shining armor right to the very end; when his long sleep finally took away his shield. Mom had to adapt to the loss of her love and her protector.
We were mom’s shiny diamonds, sometimes to be admired from afar, to be cherished always but at times too scary to hold. We know we shone brightly in her eyes. We hope we brought her the happiness and the pride and joy she so deserved. We learned many life lessons from mom, including that to survive you must be strong and determined. The mother-daughter connection never ever faltered and never waned. This connection will never be lost.
An extra-special recognition is to be extended to her son-in-law, Allan Stargardter, for all the times he placed our mother’s needs ahead of his own. May the Lord bless him for his kindness.
Mom will be missed by family in Israel, New York, California and Germany. She will also be missed by countless close and treasured friends, co-workers who became like family and everyone privileged enough to have met her and had her in their lives.
Sorry, your daily/weekly phone calls have ended unless she can arrange for a long distance plan, but know she is watching over you and listening for the latest scoop.
Graveside services were officiated by Al Benarroch at the Hebrew Sick Cemetery with pallbearers Allan Stargardter, Robbie Waldman, and grandchildren Trisha, Michael, Geoffrey & Shawn. Honourary pallbearers were grandson Matthew Stargardter, Cantor Gerry Daien, Skye Kneller, Murray Greenfield, Allan Kiesler and James Brown. If so desired, donations in memory of our mother can be made to the Chevra Mishnayes Synagogue, Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre, Humane Society of Winnipeg for the care of furry friends in need of care or a charity of choice.
Special thanks to Sandy Slonosky, Dr. K. Heinrichs, Dr. J. Johnston, Dr. J. Anang, Dr. A. Kravetsky and the staff at the Grace Hospital, for their exceptional care and compassion, and a special thank you to her adopted family at the Chevra Mishnayes Synagogue, Adeena Lungen and staff at WJCFS and friends at Gwen Secter.
Mom, we will never say good-bye because it always made you cry. Life will never be the same without you. We know you are with dad now. You will both live on in our hearts forever.
Please, all remember this proud little German girl of a Jewish upbringing who stood strong for what she believed in.
“She did it her way.”
