Obituaries
MELVILLE NEUMAN
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Melville Neuman on April 26, 2022, at age 97.
Mel is survived by his three children, Debbie Bellan (Phil), Ralph Neuman (Miriam) Jody Adelman (David), bonus children, Debbie Shaen, Michael Shaen (Anita Mackey); his brother and sister-in- law, Hy and Lil Neuman, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Gerry and Phyllis Arron; seven grandchildren, Marnie Bellan Garrett (Brian), Jamey Bellan (Rachel), Lane Bellan (Kate), Cara Oppenheimer (Andrew), Lauren Epstein (David) Ruel Neuman and Jenna Neuman; bonus grandchildren, Jeff Walker (Caitlin), Andrew Walker, Emma Shaen, Rachel Shaen, Laura Shaen, great-grandchildren, Melayna, Drake, Wesley, Brooke, Blake, Vail, Teddy and Sidney.
Mel was predeceased by his parents, Moses and Minnie Neuman, sister Betty Whitley, wife Ruby Neuman and second wife Shirley Shaen Neuman.
Mel was born April 4 1925 in Govan, SK. At age two he moved to Regina spending most of his childhood and adolescence there. Mel was dedicated student throughout his life even skipping a grade at one point. After high school he ran his father’s General store for a year until he joined the Air Force to become a radio mechanic. Mel enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan, receiving his B.A. and LLB, where he posted the highest marks in his faculty. He was later recognized with a Gold Medal for those achievements.
Soon after he was introduced to his first love, Ruby Arron, he enlisted in the Army Reserve who provided him a scholarship to Harvard Law School to earn his Masters of Law. After completing his masters he returned to Canada and married Ruby in 1951. They lived in Regina, where he practiced law and became a proud father of three. The Neuman family moved to Winnipeg in 1963 when he became a partner at Newman Maclean. He had a distinguished career and in 1968 was appointed a Q.C.
Mel was a loving husband, father, and later grandfather and great-grandfather. His wife Ruby died after 37 years of marriage. Mel met his second wife Shirley Shaen in 1989. They were married for 17 happy years until her death.
Mel was extremely friendly and loved to talk to everyone and anyone he came in contact with. He had a wonderful sense of humour right to the very end. He was always positive and rarely complained. Mel loved to exercise, and spent five days a week at the Rady Centre. He loved to speed walk chasing after the nearest pretty young woman.
Mel retired from Taylor McCaffrey at age 83, had a second Bar Mitzvah and learned to enjoy retirement. In 2016 he moved to Victoria and lived at Somerset Retirement Home. After his decline from Dementia he spent his last year well taken care of at Selkirk Place. Even in his final years, he was always positive. When asked how he was feeling, he replied, “Excellent”. This endeared him to everyone.
The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at Selkirk Place for the wonderful care given to Mel in his final days.
Funeral service was held graveside at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery on Friday, April 29.
Donations in Mel’s memory can be made to Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
Obituaries
EDITH LANDY
June 30, 1920 – July 2, 2025
After a long and fulfilling life, our Mother passed on July 2, 2025. Born in Winnipeg, she grew up as part of a large extended family.
Mother was predeceased by her parents, Joseph Mayer Freiden and Rivka (nee Fordman), our father, David Landy, and her sisters Syma Katz and Jennie Rich. Edith is survived by her five children and their families: Laurie Landy and Nora Spinks, Barbara and Paul Livingston, Bob and Rhonda Landy, Mark Landy and Jenifer, and Martin Landy, her grandchildren Saralyn, Adam, Alex, Joshua, Ethan, Caitlin, David, Alicia, Lily, and six great-grandchildren, her cousins Norma Chernick and Shlomo Mayman and her many friends and relatives.
Mom grew up as part of a large extended family in the North End of Winnipeg, guided by her father’s values of service, community and the importance of family. She entered the School of Nursing at the Winnipeg General Hospital, now the Health Sciences Centre. She progressed from general duty nurse to nursing supervisor and served as the Assistant Director of Nursing for 15 years until her retirement in 1983. Over the course of her five-decade nursing career, she raised five children, managed a household, cared for many extended family members and remained actively involved in the community.
Community was a foundation of Mom’s life. Mom was very proud of her volunteering at the Winnipeg International Children’s Festival, Winnipeg Folk Fest and other community events. She and David were patrons of the arts, including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Manitoba Opera. In 2024, she was recognized as the longest continuous subscriber to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
The North Centennial Seniors Association played an important role in our parents’ later years. She ran her kitchen crew, supervised Hot Dog Day and provided food for many bus trips. Mom’s legacy was the Grandma Grandpa Swim Club, which she established, raised funds for, and built into a strong organization.
After a long and remarkable life of service and giving care, Mom accepted the need to receive care. The Family would like to thank Melita and Nelissa for their care and dedication, as well as the staff of the Simkin Centre, especially on Weinberg 2.
We cannot put into words how much she will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Joseph Freiden Scholarship for Jewish Studies at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
A service was held July 4, 2025, at Chesed Shel Emes – Winnipeg.
Obituaries
SUSAN DIANA FRANKEL
In the kitchen above her to-do list, Susan Diana Frankel kept a comic strip of a mother bird encouraging her baby to take its first leap into flight. “Go for it!” reads the speech bubble above the mother bird. But a second bubble shows her thinking silently to herself: Just don’t go too far.
I’ve always thought that image perfectly captured our mom. She was our biggest cheerleader and greatest supporter – and out of sheer love, she wanted to spend as much time with her family as possible: Matthew and Elly, Robby and Rae, Jed and Eugenia, and our devoted dad, Harvey, her partner of 45 years. In addition to being a loving mother and spouse, she was a perfect grandmother – or “Boba” – to her three granddaughters: Romi, Esti, and Aria, whom she loved obsessively. Our mom passed away at home on June 4. She was our best friend, and to say we are devastated or that we will miss her greatly feels wholly inadequate.
Predeceased by her parents Max and Esther Weinstein and her older brother Joel (Cathie), she will forever be loved and remembered by her brothers Sidney (Grace) and Barry (Sharon), her sister Ronni (Michael), her confidante Edie (Marcel), as well as dozens of nieces, nephews, cousins, and very close friends.
Susan was born the youngest of five children on February 8, 1958, in Winnipeg. The Weinstein family lived in Melville, Saskatchewan, until 1963 before settling in Winnipeg for good. She spent summers in Gimli and at BB Camp, attended both Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate and the University of Winnipeg Collegiate, and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba (as well as spending a semester at the University of Miami while visiting her parents at their winter condo in Florida – Go Hurricanes!).
My mom married our dad, Harvey, in 1981. They were a shining example of a loving partnership – completely devoted to each other in sickness and in health. They raised us three boys to be close and family-oriented. It feels strange to reduce some of my mom’s favourite places and memories to a list, but that list would include: the family cottage in Gimli, traveling to Palm Springs, Florida, Toronto, Hawaii, Italy, and Las Vegas, shopping and dining with friends and family, playing Mahj, chatting about movies and shows, dragging my dad to social outings and making him change his outfit before they left the house, watching Winnipeg Jets games, and constantly rewatching videos of her granddaughters.
Our mom had a way of making people she’d just met feel like part of her inner circle. She was genuinely interested in what you were doing, how it was going, and how she could help. She asked questions (sometimes a few too many!) because she cared – never because she was nosy. She had a wonderful sense of humour and truly loved to laugh. When something was really funny, you’d sometimes get a snort and even a tear or two. She was simply the best.
Our family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support we’ve received during this extremely difficult time. A special thank-you to the healthcare workers who gave our mom such a remarkable quality of life despite living with stage 4 cancer for more than seven years: Dr. Marshall Pitz, all the nurses and staff at CancerCare, her homecare worker Lisa, and our family’s incredible friend and caregiver, Gemma Marciano.
Obituaries
SIDNEY RITTER
August 30, 1936 – June 20, 2025
Surrounded by his loved ones, Sidney left this world peacefully on Friday, June 20, 2025.
He is survived by his children Michael (Flynn Gerb), Beth Goldberg (Bobby), Alan and Andrea, and his sister-in-law Elsa Swedko (the late Norman). His memory will live on in his grandchildren, Zachary Goldberg (Karlene), Jessica Goldberg (Rhys Sharkey) and Stefanie Steigerwald (Alex), Halley Ritter, Brianna and Madeline Ritter, Francie and Sari Goldenberg, and great-grandchildren Brooks Goldberg and Ava Steigerwald.
Sidney was born and grew up in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, where he forged many lifelong friendships. He moved to Winnipeg following his marriage to the love of his life, Hinda, of blessed memory. Together, they built a beautiful home for their family, filled with love and caring for their community. Sidney’s commitment to making his world a better place is evident in his extensive volunteer work with the Chai Folk Ensemble, his synagogue, Folklorama and the Folk Arts Council, and his exemplary 62 years of perfect attendance at the Rotary Club of Winnipeg.
Funeral services were held on June 23, 2025, at the Rosh Pina Memorial Park. Contributions in Sidney’s memory may be made to The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, or to a charity of your choice.