Obituaries
MARK ALAN BERNSTEIN
Born Dec. 1, 1926 in Winnipeg. Died Feb. 25, 2019 in Loulé, Portugal. Beloved father of Sandra, Tamara and Mariam Bernstein. Loving Zaida to Miranda and Cinna Baran.
Predeceased by his soul-mate, wife and partner of sixty years, Zita Bernstein, his parents Sara and J. Maurice Bernstein, and his dearly loved sister, Babs Asper. Survived by nieces/nephews David Asper (Ruth), Gail Asper (Michael Paterson) and Leonard Asper (Susan) along with the many members of his large extended family; Zita’s relatives, with whom he enjoyed a particularly close relationship; Joan Baragar, his friend and companion of recent years; and the many friends around the world with whom he maintained frequent contact and about whom he cared deeply.
A proud graduate of Queen’s University’s department of engineering chemistry, Mark spent most of his working life in the family business, Phillips Paint Products, which he bought from his father and uncle in 1968. His long career, first in the lab and later management, was marked by both technical excellence and unwavering integrity. Many of his employees worked with him for decades; he was respected for his business acumen, and loved for the genuine care he had for those with whom he worked. He served as the president of the Canadian Paint Manufacturers’ Association, among other volunteer positions in his industry.
Mark felt a strong bond with the Jewish community both in Winnipeg and in Israel. He supported projects from the Rady JCC in Winnipeg to Magen David Adom in Israel and served on the board of Technion Canada. He loved travelling, especially to London, Italy, and the Algarve, and cherished time spent at Caddy Lake for over fifty years. A passionate supporter of the arts, he frequently attended concerts, plays and operas. He read voraciously and widely almost to the end of his life, displaying remarkable intellectual acuity that belied his age. His marvelous sense of humour, no-nonsense approach to life, and the great wisdom he acquired in his life will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
The family wishes to thank Mark’s doctors and nurses, notably Dr. Alexander Singer and Michelle Allard in Winnipeg, and all the caring staff at the Hospital de Loulé; as well as all the aides who helped him so much in the difficult final phase of his life, with particular mention of Valerie Pohl, Mikko Ignacio, and Ola Adeyemi, who were with him from the beginning of his decline.
Mark’s funeral was held on March 4, 2019. Pallbearers were David, Gail, Max and Ruth Asper, Sam Brask, Murray Palay, Jonathan Paterson and Michael Shnier. Honorary pallbearers were Leonard Asper, Per Brask, Michael Paterson, and Michael Susser.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, designated for the Mark Bernstein 90th Birthday Youth Enrichment Fund at the Jewish Child & Family Services in Winnipeg; The Mark A. Bernstein (Science ’48) Prize in Engineering Chemistry at Queen’s University at Kingston; or the charity of your choice.
Obituaries
RITA TRITT
March 29, 1925 – February 22, 2025
Just a month before her 100th birthday, Rita passed away peacefully with family by her side. She was the last of her generation of the large Weidman family, one of the earliest Jewish families in Winnipeg. Growing up in Winnipeg, she attended the University of Manitoba and the University of Minnesota, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from there. Rita was a very talented artist; she attended the Forum Art Institute for many, many years where she enjoyed the mentorship and camaraderie of fellow artists. She was proud of having sold several hundred pieces of her work over her time there.
Rita was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Joe Tritt, in 1986. She is survived by her loving family, her children: Jacki and Sheldon Koven, Steven Tritt and Sharon Goszer Tritt; grandchildren: Lesley Koven and Eric Thomas, Mara Koven-Lapointe and Ryan Lapointe, Joseph Tritt and Shaun Castor; great-grandchildren: Ayla and Eli Thomas, and Kate Lapointe.
Funeral services were held on February 24, 2025. Rita’s family is grateful for the warm and attentive care of Sherryl and Sergio and all the staff on Weinberg 1 at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre where Rita lived for the last 3 years. If friends wish, a donation in Rita’s memory can be made to the Simkin Centre or the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
Obituaries
ISABELLE BOOK
It is with sadness and gratitude for a life well lived, that we announce the passing of our family matriarch Isabelle Book. Izzy was born on November 21, 1925, and passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
She was predeceased by her parents Clara and Jacob Brownstein, her brother Walter, her sister Minnie Goldman, her beloved husband Arthur, her brother-in-law Noel and a fabulous group of women who shared a friendship that lasted decades.
She is survived by her 4 children, Warren and Faye Book, Marilyn and David Pressman, Jacqueline and Jory Stillwater and David and Elaine Book. She was a very proud Baba to Hilary Book, Deborah Book and Mike James, Laurie and Ginny Stillwater, Kayleigh and Barrett Ruggles, Adam Book and Gabe Bloomfield-Book and Seth Book and Amy Shore. She so enjoyed seeing pictures and videos of her great-grandchildren Hugo, Marcus, Reese, Maverick, Richie and Sullivan. She will also be greatly missed by her sister -in- law and dear friend Shirley Book.
Izzy had a great sense of humour and was often unable to get to the punchline of a joke because she was laughing so hard. She could be stubborn and strong minded. She would dig in her heels if she felt she was being pushed to make a decision she wasn’t ready to make. Izzy enjoyed time with family and friends but was also very comfortable with her own company.
Izzy knew what it meant to be a friend. She was a kind compassionate woman who cherished the people in her life and was always our biggest fan. Our mom was a quality human being who never forgot a birthday or anniversary. Izzy lived by the Golden Rule. She lived a long, healthy life but remained seriously young at heart.
There are memories to last a lifetime, ones that we will keep close as we honour her memory. We were blessed to have her for as long as we did, strong, loving and sharp until almost the end. She modeled what it meant to live a good life. She also did it on her terms.
The funeral took place on Sunday, February 9 at the B’nai Abraham Cemetery with Rabbi Kliel Rose officiating. Pallbearers were her grandchildren.
The family wishes to thank the incredible staff at the Rosewood (Maple House) where she lived. She bonded with many of the wonderful people who cared and supported her there.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.
Obituaries
Naomi Lander Rosenthal February 14, 1940 – February 12, 2025
Naomi Lander Rosenthal was born in Winnipeg and passed away two days shy of her 85th birthday. She was the daughter of Drs. Jacob Joseph (Jack) Lander, a respected and beloved family practitioner in Winnipeg, and Clara (Shnay) Lander, a literary scholar and past President of the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Board of Governors.
Naomi was a classically trained pianist and performed both formally and informally in many venues. She was always asked to play at any party where there was a piano. Her favorite classical piece was Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, which readers can listen to and enjoy here. Naomi was heavily influenced by the version played by the pianist Glenn Gould, which approximates how Naomi approached it. Naomi had a great appreciation for complexity in musical style and composition. Her piano repertoire extended from Bach and Brahms to Elton John and Billy Joel.
Naomi lived in Toronto from 1968-1988 and then moved back to Winnipeg in 1989 to help care for her father when he became ill. She worked in senior executive assistant roles from the 1970s through the early 1990s in insurance, government and the non-profit sectors before retiring at age 65. Her work ethic, perfectionism and sense of mission throughout her career made Naomi a beloved team member, who also fostered life-long friendships with her supervisors and even their families.
In addition to music, Naomi had many interests, including gourmet cooking, film, science fiction and fantasy, and politics. Naomi could engage anyone in any number of subjects and was particularly interested in health and medicine. Naomi will now go on to teach medical students through the University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ body donation program.
Naomi is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Ahava Rosenthal and Michael Shore, of Boston, MA; M. Sara Rosenthal and Kenneth Ain of Lexington, Kentucky; her grandchildren, Kayla Shore and Jacob Shore; her step-grandchildren, Maxwell Ain and Jacob Ain; her sisters, Myra Lander of San Mateo, California, and Judith Lander of Toronto; nephews Kalan Vuksanovich and Stephen Israels and many extended family members from the Lander families, Shnay families, and Rothberg families.
The family wishes to thank Richard (Dick) and Joanne Rothberg; Naomi’s wonderful caregivers at The Key, homecare assistance in Winnipeg, including Brian Boxall and Althea King; the Simkin Centre; and Elena Episcope for helping to make Naomi’s final years so much more comfortable.
A remembrance of Naomi will be held on Thursday evening, February 20th at 7 pm at 202 Lamont Blvd in Winnipeg. Donations in Naomi’s memory may be made to CancerCareManitoba or to the organization of your choice.
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