Obituaries
MINNIE KARLINSKY
Minnie Karlinsky (nee Ratner), was born in 1923 in Norquay, Saskatchewan. She had a great and happy life – all 98 years. She lived in the centre of friends and family. She was a positive and loving woman who had great joie de vivre, charm, style, beauty, generosity, compassion and wisdom. She was important to her family. She maintained all of her relationships. Her death leaves a huge void.
Minnie was born the youngest of six children. In 1926, the family moved to Winnipeg. Minnie grew up in the North End. Minnie was close to her older sisters and a group of life-long friends. Minnie attended Machray and St. John’s high school where she enjoyed sports and social activities. She took a course at the Normal School and spent one year in the country teaching grades one to nine in a one room schoolhouse. Minnie took great pride in having had the experience of being a teacher in Kerrik, Manitoba. She met her husband-to-be Will Karlinsky at an Eagles’ picnic when she was 16 years of age. They dated on and off for eight years before marrying in 1947, living on Inkster Blvd, then Emerson, and a return to Winnipeg during the polio epidemic. Minnie stayed home and raised their children, imparting to them the importance of being tolerant of others and treating everyone equally. She was active in Hadassah, ORT and the Rosh Pina Purim ball for a number of years. Extended family events in the Jewish calendar and other family and friend celebrations marked her year. At the age of 53 she went back to the University of Manitoba where she continued her studies at the School of Art.
Minnie and Will had a lot of fun. They loved their retreat at Sandy Hook. They loved partying with a cohort of friends and family, singing, dancing, celebrating the holidays and milestones. Mom made everyone feel important.
Minnie was an extraordinary cook, a gourmet, leaving everyone with memories of amazing meals. She was an innovator who respected tradition. She hosted and was hospitable. The door was always open, the coffee was always on, and her kitchen table and generosity were open to all. She was an avid reader, a prolific painter, a brilliant bridge player and she maintained a positive attitude to the end of her life, enjoying family, friends, nature and sunshine. She loved art and artists. She loved beauty. Hers was the smile and presence that lit the room. She faced and dealt with adversity, illness and disappointments with strength and courage. Wherever she lived: Campbell Street, the Crescent, The Portsmouth, and briefly at the Simkin Centre, she remained interested in people, extending a hand of friendship, accustomed that love would flow. She brought light into every situation, loving babies, the sky, a good martini. She had a beautiful smile. She was fiercely adoring and proud of her children and grandchildren, lavishing them with praise, and she was central to the vitality and connectedness of her large extended family.
She is pre-deceased by parents Frank and Sarah Ratner; husband William Karlinsky; brother Harry Ratner; sisters and brothers-in-law Molly and Jack Secter, Bessie and Morris Whiteman, Sophie and Aubie Jacob, Doris and Stan Sachs; in-laws Avram and Sonia, Hy and Eve, Jake and Sharna, Leah and Tzvi Trefler; nephews and niece Kenny Jacob, Alan and Matthew Karlinsky, and Marcia Secter; and great-grandson Cabe William Crossman, all of blessed memory. Minnie is survived by children Karen and Barry Corrin, Ellen Karlinsky and Adrian Challis, Harry Karlinsky and Andrea Tuka, former daughter-in-law Sally Davis Karlinsky; and Amy Karlinsky and Bryan Magnusson; grandchildren Daniel (Deirdre) and Sarah (Lyndon) Corrin; Aaron (Amy) and Jon (Lisha) Challis; Franny (Travis), April and Elizabeth Karlinsky; Anna and Saul Magnusson; and great-grandchildren Madeline, Benjamin, Jacob, Phoenix, Hazel, Samaya, and Ruby.
Minnie loved Assiniboine Park, took great joy in nature and sang lullabies and childhood songs to her grandchildren right to the end of her life. No birthday can be celebrated without Minnie’s rendition of “May you live a hundred years”; and as she encountered the day: “How beautiful and blue the sky!”
The family will always appreciate Maria Arbuthnot for her loving care of Minnie over the last few years, and the wonderful staff at the Portsmouth where she resided for seven years. She died at the Simkin Centre, after a short stay, on August 12th (4th Elul) and was buried at the Rosh Pina cemetery on August 15th.
Minnie was concerned for those in need: the hungry, the homeless and those without families or support. She believed in causes of justice and children’s literacy. Donations in her memory may be made to Winnipeg Harvest Foodbank, The Bear Clan, One Just City and the Literacy Programs of the Winnipeg Foundation and Winnipeg Public Library. Loved and beloved, we will be inspired by her ability to lift her face to the beautiful blue sky.
Obituaries
Recent funerals – as posted on the Chesed Shel Emes website
| Sheldon Paul Nemy | Solomon ben Moshe haKohen v’Rachel | 01/04/1947 | 23/06/2026 | 8 Tamuz 5786 | Hebrew Sick Cemetery | More Info |
| Murray Kadys | Moshe ben Shmuel v’Bayla | 12/01/1945 | 19/06/2026 | 4 Tamuz 5786 | Beit Chayim Mikdash Shalom, Chapel Lawn Cemetery, 4000 Portage Ave | More Info |
| Richard Gordon | Yitzchak ben Yaakov v’Dina | 06/11/1943 | 14/06/2026 | 29 Sivan 5786 | Grays’ Ridge Cemetery, Alonsa MB | More Info |
| David Harold Diamond | David ben Avraham Yehoshua haLevi | 08/04/1929 | 09/06/2026 | 24 Sivan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Sidney Green | Simcha ben Aharon v’Rosa | 01/08/1929 | 07/06/2026 | 22 Sivan 5786 | Hebrew Sick Benefit Cemetery | More Info |
| Cecile Kowall | Tzivia bat Shlomo David v’ Sluva Mata | 24/05/1935 | 03/06/2026 | 18 Sivan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Joan Hargrave | Chana Henya bat Binyamin Mayer haLevi v’ Miriam Dina | 14/07/1953 | 01/06/2026 | 16 Sivan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Irwin Barry Stronger | Yitzchak Dov ben Matityahu v’Baila | 16/09/1941 | 31/05/2026 | 15 Sivan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| David Ivan Cohen | David Yitzchak ben Yaakov Moshe v’Sara Liba | 06/06/1956 | 30/05/2026 | 14 Sivan 5786 | Hebrew Sick Benefit Cemetery | More Info |
| Phyllis Maxine Hochman | Tziporah bat Shmuel v’Esther | 31/12/1940 | 30/05/2026 | 14 Sivan 5786 | Rosh Pina Memorial Park | More Info |
| Alvin Murray Zivot | Avraham Moshe ben Yaakov v’Leah Miriam | 03/08/1931 | 27/05/2026 | 11 Sivan 5786 | Rosh Pina Memorial Park | More Info |
| Tova Vickar | Tova bat Nachum v’Yenta | 24/08/1949 | 22/05/2026 | 6 Sivan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Karen Leipsic | Chaya Tova bat Kalman v’Raizel | 03/04/1944 | 21/05/2026 | 5 Sivan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Phyllis Lee Dana | Fayge-Leah bat Moshe BenZion v’Chaya | 05/10/1936 | 17/05/2026 | 1 Sivan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Betty Brina Simon | Bayla bat Yitzchak v’Miriam | 27/07/1935 | 15/05/2026 | 28 Iyar 5786 | Hebrew Sick Benefit Cemetery | More Info |
| Basia Bayla Fliegel | Bayla bat Leib | 31/05/1930 | 13/05/2026 | 26 Iyar 5786 | Rosh Pina Memorial Park | More Info |
| Harold Diamond | Tzvi ben Yaacov v’Chana | 04/12/1935 | 12/05/2026 | 25 Iyar 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Gary Rayburn | Gershon Aaron ben Hersh Ber v’Masha | 21/09/1965 | 09/05/2026 | 22 Iyar 5786 | Bnay Abraham Cemetery | More Info |
| Ray Schnoor | Raizel bat Ephraim v’Rachel | 13/06/1927 | 05/05/2026 | 19 Iyar 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Gila Ruth Fainstein | Rachel bat Kiva v’Leah | 25/06/1935 | 04/05/2026 | 14 Iyar 5786 | Rosh Pina Memorial Park | More Info |
| Toby Schwartz | Chaya Tovah bat Moshe v’Chana | 16/07/1932 | 01/05/2026 | 14 Iyar 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Rachel Wolman | Rachel Bayla bat Moshe v’Malka | 03/02/1962 | 24/04/2026 | 7 Iyar 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Leah Gitlin | Laya bat Yosef v’Frayda | 04/09/1926 | 08/04/2026 | 21 Nisan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Lin Joseph Rosenbaum | Yosef Levi ben Hershel Zvi v’Dvorah | 17/10/1952 | 06/04/2026 | 19 Nisan 5786 | Hebrew Sick Benefit Cemetery | More Info |
| Norman Stein | Nachum ben Avraham v’Chaya | 10/06/1932 | 06/04/2026 | 19 Nisan 5786 | Bnay Abraham Cemetery | More Info |
| Marvin Saul Silver | Menachem Shaul ben Avraham v’Chana Gitel | 20/11/1941 | 05/04/2026 | 18 Nisan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
| Kimberley Dawn Kirshenbaum | Isabella bat Avraham v’Sarah | 09/12/1969 | 03/04/2026 | 17 Nisan 5786 | Rosh Pina Memorial Park | More Info |
| Walter Ganetsky | Zev ben Yosef haLevi v’Tziporah | 23/09/1940 | 02/04/2026 | 15 Nisan 5786 | Bnay Abraham Cemetery | More Info |
| Lorelei Camille Lavitt | Rachel bat Yaakov v’Raisa | 11/04/1936 | 26/03/2026 | 8 Nisan 5786 | Rosh Pina Memorial Park | More Info |
| Melvin Myers | Moshe ben Chaim v’Rachel | 24/04/1936 | 24/03/2026 | 7 Nisan 5786 | Shaarey Zedek Cemetery | More Info |
To see more funerals go to https://chesedshelemes.org/records-of-the-deceased/
Uncategorized
KAREN LEIPSIC
April 3, 1944 – May 21, 2026
Beloved mother, grandmother, wife, sister, and friend, Chaya Tova bat Raisel v’Calman.
Born on April 3, 1944, in Saskatchewan, Karen (Chaya Tova) was raised in a deeply rooted Jewish home built by parents whose courage and resilience shaped generations to come. Her father, Calman, was born on the Lipton Baron Hirsch colony, established by Jewish immigrants seeking refuge and opportunity in Canada. Her mother, Rose Bercovici, emigrated from Solitza, Romania, in 1930, leaving behind family and a world she would never see again. Together, they created a home grounded in love, Yiddishkeit, chesed, and unwavering Jewish pride.
Raised initially in Dysart, Saskatchewan, and later in Melville, Karen grew up surrounded by family, Jewish tradition, and a close-knit prairie Jewish community that remained central to her identity throughout her life. She spoke often and lovingly of those formative years and carried their values with her always.
As a young woman, she moved to Winnipeg, where she built a new chapter of her life with her best friend Shirley Anne Teplitsky Z”L and soon met the love of her life, Peter who was a devoted husband to the very last moments. They married in 1970 and together built a home filled with warmth, laughter, resilience, ahavat Yisrael, and unconditional love.
She was a fiercely devoted mother who believed deeply in the limitless potential of her children. Her love, encouragement, and strength shaped every aspect of their lives. She taught her family to be proud Jews, to carry themselves with dignity and confidence, and never to fear adversity. Her support was constant, her standards high, and her love unwavering.
Karen had an unique gift to make people feel seen and special. She was incredibly warm and kind and would never miss an opportunity to take time to engage with everyone she encountered each in a unique and personal way sharing support and kindness with everyone she met. She saw the uniqueness in all of humanity in a fashion that is so incredibly rare.
In 2001 and 2004, she welcomed a cherished daughter-in-law Karly and son-in law Kevin into the family. To her they were simply her children. She loved them with the same depth and constancy. In 2004 she embraced what would become one of the great joys of her life: becoming “Bobbie.” Nothing brought her greater happiness than her grandchildren. She adored each of them uniquely and completely, delighting in their personalities, interests, accomplishments, and everyday moments. From Shabbos dinners and movie nights to family trips in Spain and Costa Rica and Israel, Disneyland adventures, and countless chaggim and seders celebrated together, she created memories that will remain treasured forever.
Karen lived with extraordinary Jewish pride and a profound love for her people. Her life embodied resilience, humour, love and devotion to family. She remained deeply connected to her roots, her upbringing, and the traditions she inherited and passed forward.
Even in her final months, she continued to bring her family together through shared travels, laughter, conversations, and moments of closeness that are now cherished gifts. Though her illness came suddenly and heartbreakingly, the love she gave over a lifetime remains enduring and immeasurable.
She leaves behind a heartbroken but deeply grateful family: her beloved husband Peter; her children Sarah (Kevin) and Jonathon (Karly); her treasured grandchildren Isabella Rose, Hugh, Carsyn, Ryann, Cole, Ty, and Sydney; extended family; lifelong friends; and all those whose lives were enriched by her warmth, strength, wisdom, and kindness.
Her family wishes to express profound gratitude to the many relatives, friends, caregivers, and members of the community who supported them with love, compassion, prayers, and acts of kindness during her illness.
Tehei nishmatah tzrurah bitzror hachayim — may the soul of Chaya Tova bat Raisel v’Calman be bound in the bonds of eternal life.
May her memory forever be a blessing to her family, her friends, and all of Klal Yisrael.
Obituaries
DAVID H. DIAMOND
David H. Diamond, born on April 8, 1929, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2026, at the age of 97.
Dave grew up in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Penn State University. He proudly served in the Korean War, attaining the rank of Sergeant.
In 1955, he married Miriam, and together they shared more than 70 years of devotion, partnership, and love.
Dave was a proud and loving father to Sharon (Hillel) and Aubie (Susan); a cherished grandfather to Josh (Samantha), Azriel (Carrie), Daniel (Jenn), Yael (Yoel), and Noah (Tali); and a beloved great-grandfather to 13 great-grandchildren, all of whom are his treasured legacy.
David excelled in his business ventures and was highly regarded and respected by all who knew and worked with him as a man of unwavering integrity.
The family extends enduring gratitude to the staff on Weinberg 3 at the Simkin Centre, who cared for Dave with exceptional love, kindness, and compassion.
May his memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved him.
Donations in David’s memory may be made to the Chesed Shel Emes Endowment Fund through the Jewish Foundation at 204-477-7520.

