Obituaries
MAX LABOVITCH
It is with great sadness, the family of Max Labovitch mourn his passing on Sunday, January 14th, 2018, at the St Boniface Hospital, four days before his 94th birthday.
Max was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Loretta (Gold). He is survived by children, Valerie Lowenstein (Arnie) of Boston and Harriet Breslauer (Richard) of Calgary as well as grandchildren Jeremy, Daniel, Steven (Alyssa) and Kelly. He is also survived by his brother Irvin.
Max was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1924, son of Joseph and Goldie both of whom immigrated to Canada from Romania. He was one of six siblings including four brothers and two sisters. He attended the Peretz School and Isaac Newton high school in Winnipeg. Max began skating and playing hockey at the age of seven, a passion that would be with him his whole life. Max played Bantam A, Bantam B and Midget hockey with the Excelsiors before playing Juvenile hockey with the Winnipeg Rangers. In 1941, at the age of 17, Max began his professional hockey career with the New Haven Eagles of the American Hockey League before joining the New York Rangers in 1943. Max became the first Jewish Canadian-born player in the NHL.
Max played professional hockey until 1954 for the New York Rovers, the Los Angeles Ramblers and the Toledo Mercurys of the IHL, where he was captain and won the MVP. Max continued to play hockey for many years with the Manitoba old timers. His love for hockey continued till very late in life, including in-line skating until the age of 83.
Max’s athletic skills were not limited to hockey. He was an avid golfer and was the club champion at the Bakersfield Country Club in California, as well as years later at the Bel Acres Country Club in Winnipeg. He was also active in soccer, baseball and swimming as a youth.
In 1954 Max met the love of his life, Loretta Gold, at the Olympic skating rink and they were married a few months later. Max and Loretta were married for 55 years. They enjoyed dancing, playing golf and, later in life, spending winters in Las Vegas. He enjoyed spending time with his brothers and sisters and would travel to California often to see them. He also took great pride in the accomplishments of his four grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them in Calgary and Boston.
Following his hockey career, Max became the sales manager with Chilton Automotive for Western Canada. He worked with Chilton for over 40 years.
Max was an extrovert. He loved to get together with his friends for breakfast at the Salisbury House and later at the Burger King to discuss the news of the day, politics and sports. He had a very strong will, independent mind and seemed always to be at the center of the discussion. Max was very proud to be Jewish, taking pride in his heritage and ensuring that his daughters had a strong Jewish education. He was most passionate about Israel and had an insatiable interest in listening to the latest news about Israel and the region.
Max was an active member of the YMHA, Brandeis Club and B’nai B’rith for many years. This past year, he was honoured by the Rady Jewish Community Center for his achievements in hockey and sports.
Strength was the characteristic that most defined Max. He had strength of mind, body, spirit and will that was evident to all who knew him. He leaves behind a loving and devoted family who take strength from the lessons and memories of their time with Max that surely will help propel them to the next chapters of their lives.
The funeral took place at the Etz Chayim Synagogue in Winnipeg on January 16th, with burial at the Hebrew Sick Cemetery. Pallbearers included grandsons Jeremy and Daniel Lowenstein, Steven Breslauer, sons-in-law Arnie Lowenstein and Richard Breslauer, and Lanny Jacob. Honorary pallbearers included brother Irvin Labovitch, Al Greenberg, Billy Brownstone, Manley Rusen, Frank Lavitt, Jack Nepon, Wayne Hadad, and Kroft Henrick. Max was pre-deceased by his wife Loretta, brothers Lou and Jack and sisters Rebecca and Ethel.
Many thanks to his care givers from Medox and in particular Joanne, Sid, Tom, Ed and Victor. Thank you to Dr. John Rabson, Dr. Jasmir Nayak and Dr. Piotr Czaykowski. A special thank you to Sandy Slonosly and to his good friend Lydia for their caring and concern.
Donations can be made to the to the Max Labovitch Scholarship Fund at the Rady Jewish Community Center in Winnipeg . The address is 123 Doncaster Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3N2B3 (204-477-7510).
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.