Obituaries
MARSHALL STUART KNELLER
With profound sorrow we announce the sudden passing of Marshall Stuart Kneller on February 20th at the age of 64.
Marshall will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his beloved wife, Laya, children, Kyle & Carol Kneller, Gabi & Benji Winestock, and Skye & fiancé Cameron Poitras; sister Sandi Kneller; most cherished grandchildren Alex & Maddy; and father-in-law Ted Muller. Also left to mourn are extended family, friends and much loved machatunim Paul & Jackie Winestock. Marshall was predeceased by his parents Gordon & Edith; daughter Jada; and mother-in-law Marie.
Only one word is necessary to describe the life and legacy of Marshall: Chesed, the Hebrew word for kindness, which bears a sense of devotional piety and mercy towards humanity. It was that sense of duty and devotion which dictated every aspect of Marshall’s life of selfless service. He was guided by the principles of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world.
Marshall was a loyal and dedicated employee of the Canada Revenue Agency for over 25 years, where he established many life-long and treasured friendships. The respect with which he treated his colleagues was returned to him ten-fold. He was equally devoted to his ‘second family’ at the Chevra Mishnayes Synagogue, where he served as President for the past 20 years. It was a sanctuary for his soul. He sat at an altar of tradition and worshipped the congregation’s values. On his last day of life, Marshall rejoiced at being able to return to his beloved synagogue, and being surrounded by the congregation he served and loved. He even stayed afterwards to help prepare pastry packages for our secluded seniors. That was just one day in a lifetime filled with quiet, often anonymous generosity and refreshing humility.
Forty-eight years ago, Marshall met the love of his life, Laya, at the tender age of 15. It’s a story of true love, based on mutual respect and support. Their love is one we all pray for, but too few are granted. They exemplified to their friends and family what resilience through love looks like. They built a foundation of family together, one strong enough to withstand hardship and loss, perhaps the most devastating was the death of their daughter, Jada. Through his own grief and darkness, Marshall managed to support his fellow mourners with quiet compassion. He brought light through laughter. And laughter there was during family gatherings, trips to Vegas, lifecycle events and countless rendezvous for hot and sour soup at his favourite vegetarian restaurant Delicious.
Of all the hats he wore, none suited him more than dad and Zaida. He was a source of endless empathy, even for his fur-babies. Marshall encouraged his children and grandchildren’s personal passions with unwavering support. He did it all with such grace, patience and humour. He was fiercely protective of his younger sister, Sandi, and their mutual devotion solidified their special bond.
To carry on Marshall’s legacy, an endowment fund has been established through the Jewish Foundation for the perpetual support of Chevra Mishnayes Synagogue. Donations may be made directly to the synagogue.
Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet.
May his memory be a blessing.
We love you, Marshall. Forever in our hearts.
Obituaries
BARBARA ELAINE WINESTOCK
Barbara Elaine Winestock, maiden name Block, was born on the 27th of May 1951 to parents, Hymie and Gertie Block. She grew up in Hodgson, Manitoba and then Winnipeg’s north end with her parents and younger sister Ava. In short, Barbara was chaos.
In 1980, she married Larry Winestock, who she had met only months prior. When they remembered their plane tickets, the two traveled around the world and when they remembered their luggage, they did so with clothing. They were chronically late, habitually unprepared and perpetually entertaining. Their love was sincere and their fights were like cats and dogs with rabies. Their family would be completed after years of trying to adopt, when they got the “once in a lifetime” opportunity twice, adopting Gabriel in 1989 and Bailey in 1992.
Barbara was so many things to so many people. She did so much throughout her life. She sold advertising spots for CKRC, she taught at the Rady Centre, she sewed, she gardened, she painted and so much more. She was loud, outgoing and made friends everywhere she went.
In 2019 she was diagnosed with brain cancer and given a prognosis of 11 months. This impending date was however not enough to overwhelm her aforementioned chronic lateness. She wouldn’t make this appointment for another six years. She beat it for so long.
Barbara passed away on September 21, 2025. Due to the impending holidays the funeral was held on the 22nd of September at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. We miss you Bobs.
Obituaries
KEVIN ROSEN
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Kevin Rosen, aged 54, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, following a determined and courageous battle with ALS. Kevin was the beloved son of Harvey Rosen (z”l) and Judy Goodman, loving husband of Judi Price-Rosen, devoted father of Emery, cherished brother of Pam, and special brother-in-law of Barbi and Jared Green. He was also the proud uncle of Stella, Jakob, Miranda and Micah, a treasured cousin, and a loyal friend to so many.
Kevin was born in Winnipeg and grew up in Garden City where he attended Talmud Torah, Jefferson Junior High and Garden City Collegiate. He graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1996 with an Honours degree in Commerce and soon after, headed to Toronto. It was there that he met the love of his life, Judi, and they married in 2000. Soon after their wedding, the newlyweds returned to Winnipeg to start their new life together. For 25 years, their love for each other remained unwavering and strong. Kevin’s calm demeanor and his remarkable ability to find humour in any situation helped them weather life’s challenges together.
In 2006, Judi and Kevin became a family with the birth of their son, Emery. Kevin’s greatest joy was being a dad and fatherhood came naturally to him. He parented with patience, empathy and gentle guidance. Whether it was watching cartoons and funny TikTok clips together, or a surprise trip to Toronto to take in a Blue Jays game, Kevin always made “father-son time” a priority.
Kevin had a long and successful career in marketing and communications that began in Toronto, and continued in Winnipeg at Gateway Publishing. Most of his employment experience was in higher education. He was hired as Marketing Manager at Red River College in 2004, and in 2012, reached the pinnacle of his career as Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Winnipeg. Kevin led with integrity and humility and genuinely cared about the people he supervised. He was respected and well-liked by his colleagues and many remained in close touch after his early retirement.
Kevin was also an avid runner who completed seven full marathons. For years, he had trained his body and mind to push through that last gruelling mile with tenacity and intense focus. Like his favorite movie hero Rocky Balboa, Kevin was built for an epic fight. Little did he know that in his case, the stakes would be so much higher. The fight of Kevin’s life – and for his life – began with a diagnosis of ALS just months before he turned 50.
ALS may have changed his life, but Kevin never let it define him. He remained fiercely independent, continued to nurture relationships with family and friends, and welcomed visitors with a playful smile, a joke, and incredible patience. Even after he lost the ability to speak, Kevin’s quirky sense of humor remained, shining through via text, his computerized surrogate voice, and that signature glint in his eyes.
He was kindness personified. A wonderful listener. Loyal. Thoughtful. Humble. A true mensch.
To paraphrase his late father, we all won the lottery of life for having had the privilege of knowing and loving Kevin Rosen.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the many doctors, nurses and specialists involved in Kevin’s care: the staff at the Motor Neuron Clinic, his WRHA Palliative Care Team, Diana at the ALS Society of Manitoba, “Smoky” Lisa and Brenda. Sincere appreciation to Harsh, Maggie, Avya and Harleen who honoured Kevin’s dignity and provided companionship at the most difficult stage of his illness.
Donations in Kevin’s memory can be made to the ALS Society of Manitoba or the University of Winnipeg.
A Celebration of Life is planned for the spring of 2026.
Obituaries
ALAN LEVY
On January 6, Alan Levy, age 71, died at Grace Hospital with his wife and daughters by his side.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Alan spent his childhood in the North End and later moved to River Heights, where his family settled on Brock Street.
After studying in Winnipeg and Tel Aviv, Alan moved to Toronto, where he lived for over 30 years. It was in Toronto where he raised a family with his first wife, Sylvia Bashevkin, worked in public sector human resources and fell in love with Chinese food.
In 2017, after brief stints as an academic in Regina and Brandon, Alan moved back home to the Peg, where he spent many fulfilling years with his devoted wife of 20 years, Cheryl Karlinsky, and their loving dogs. In his later career, he was appointed to the Labour Relations Board of Canada where he served as a skilled adjudicator and proud Canadian.
Alan was endlessly proud of his family, daughters Dalia Levy and Aviva Levy (Adam Walman) of Toronto, and two grandsons, Jonah and Ethan.
Predeceased by his parents Sheldon and Audrey Levy (nee Myers) of Winnipeg, Alan was a dedicated news junkie with a sharp sense of humour. He thrived most when discussing current events, cracking jokes and debating geopolitical crises. Much to his family’s frustration, he would stay up all night glued to the news, and they’d wake up to endless articles he’d shared the night before.
Alan had an exceptionally strong spirit of generosity and focus on ‘tikkun olam’ – repairing the world, which lives on in his children and grandchildren. His family is grateful to the staff at Simkin for providing him with a phenomenal level of care over the last few years, especially Dr. Chung and Sara Reid, Assistant Director of Care. Special thanks to Paul, Victor and Almaze, his kind and patient caregivers.
The funeral took place at Chesed Shel Emes on January 8.
Donations in his memory can be made to The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre https://www.simkincentre.ca.