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
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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