June 29, 1936 – May 24, 2025

Myrna Raber passed away on May 24th 2025, the 26th of Iyar, 5785, with family by her side, just a month before her 89th birthday. She was born June 29th 1936 in Winnipeg, where she was raised and lived her entire life.

She was the Matriarch of our family, with 10 grandchildren (and their spouses and significant others) and 3 great-grandchildren, who were the ‘apple of her eye’: Mark and Samantha, Daniel and Diana, Jonathan, Benjamin and Jessica, Joshua, Rachel and Eric, Arielle and Daniel, Matthew and Rachel, Megan and Ariel, and Mika and great-grandchildren: Ethan, Jacob and Isaac.

Myrna was a devoted and loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, Baba and Great-Baba, aunt, and cousin. Her parents, Fanny and Murray Golden(z”l), raised her with love and worked tirelessly to make a better life for her, and instilled in her the importance of family, lessons she passed on to her children and grandchildren.

In high school, at the Jewish Youth Club, Habonim, Mom met the love of her life, a skinny savant with an odd sense of humor whose mission was Tikkun Olam, the original “Mr. Fix-it”, our Dad, Monte(z”l). They were married on June 9th 1957, at an elegant affair at the Herzlia Synagogue, on a rainy day with the aisle romantically lit by candle-light. Once Myrna joined the Raber family, she always treated her in-laws, Marcia and Aron (Harry) Raber(z”l), as she did her own parents, with the utmost love, respect and care. She was a little sister to Ruth (Joe)(z”l), with whom she was extremely close, and she became and remained very close to her sister-in-laws Leah(z”l) and Carol (Arnold), and all their families throughout her life.

Our Mother’s and Father’s was a traditional marriage: our dad worked hard outside the home, and our mom supported him, and worked hard inside the home. They set out to start and raise a family and built a new home on Coralberry Avenue, in the brand-new development community of Garden City in the North End, where they made new life-long friendships. There, Mom and Dad raised 3 strong independent children, Avis (Ari z”l), Eileen and Earl, with deep roots in Yiddishkeit and Jewish values, and led by example how to raise our own children, and the importance of family. On top of her work at home, Mom did volunteer work with the National Council of Jewish Women, including in-school Audiology testing and Play Reading in high schools.

At home Mom was a Balabusta. She was a skilled cook and baker and ran a tight and clean ship, being supremely organized. Our Mom took great pride in her family, and in creating a warm and loving Yiddishkeit home for us. She hosted regular Friday Shabbat dinners with Babas and Zaidas Golden and Raber and countless family birthdays, holidays, Seders and Simchas were celebrated with the Golden, Raber, Kettner, Weinberg and Shapiro families. All our cousins and friends were always welcome, and the fridge was always full and over-flowing. She was always there for us. That is how we remember her: working hard, cooking over a hot stove, her sleeves rolled up, her apron on. She was strict, but she spoiled us, especially with our favorite recipes and birthday cakes. Her kamish, rolly-polly and apple cakes were legendary!

Mom was also a good sport, and agreed, against her better judgement, to let our Dad live out his dream of long adventurous family road trips and camping vacations all across North America, which was NOT her style.

Mom had a special ‘presence’, and you knew when she walked into a room. She paid very close attention to her appearance, and all our presentation, and always dressed gracefully and elegantly, like a queen.

Over the years Mom and Dad travelled to Israel, Europe, the Orient (Hong Kong and Japan) and even South America. The last several years together our parents also enjoyed wintering in Palm Springs, where they made many new friends. In later years, our parents moved to their Lanark Street home, closer to their daughters’ Avis and Eileen and their Winnipeg grandchildren who they saw frequently, sometimes just for a drop in or lunch. They made regular trips out to Calgary to visit Earl and his children, for the holidays and sometimes just for a school performance or sports event. Mom did not want to miss ANYTHING, if it involved her grandchildren.

Our mom was a very social person. She always had many and different groups of friends and enjoyed her walks and coffee ‘with the girls’, movies and book club, Rady Centrę exercise classes, and the opera and ballet, especially if it was with her daughters. She loved to meet new people, and make new friends. And she loved to talk. Boy, did she love to talk! Everyone we’ve met seems to have an ‘I just met Myrna Story’. Legend has it, that in her Graduating High School Year Book, Myrna Golden’s caption read: Silence is Golden; Myrna is NOT.

Myrna was not shy. She spoke her mind, and with our Dad fostered independence in her children and grandchildren. She offered her wisdom and advice to us, and to many others, solicited, and un-solicited. “Make sure you work hard” was one of her favorite counsels… “but not too hard”! Our Mom had a special and unique relationship with each and every grandchild, taking great interest in all their activities, friends and achievements. She loved a good joke, and in later years she had fun teaching her grandchildren Yiddish.

The last few years, especially following our dad’s un-timely passing, were very hard for our mom, forcing her to face difficult challenges alone, but she persevered, and she made a new life for herself and new friends at the Shaftesbury and the Simkin Centre. She struggled sometimes with her health and her memory, and yet at other times she was sharp as a tack. Over time, one thing never wavered: Mom’s immense love for her family, her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They were ALWAYS top of mind for her, and she literally lit up when they walked into her room.

Myrna was dedicated, proud and fiercely protective of her family. We are the luckiest family in the whole world to have had her and Dad as our parents, role models, life mentors and protectors. Myrna’s passing is so devastating for us, but we are glad that she is not suffering, and we are happy that she is re-united with the love of her life, her life-partner for almost 65 years of marriage, her Mottel. We are comforted as we realize how very blessed we have been to have had her in our lives, and our children’s lives for so long.

Myrna Raber had a life well lived and loved. She had such a wonderful smile and laugh, and taught us so very much, especially about the importance of Yiddishkeit, community, love and FAMILY, which we will always cherish and never forget.

A graveside funeral service was held at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery May 26, 2025. Pallbearers were her grandchildren, Mark, Daniel, Jonathan, Benjamin, Rachel, and Arielle, with honorary pallbearers, Joshua, Matthew, Megan and Mika.

For all who provided messages of condolence, calls, meals and support to the family, we gratefully thank you.

For those who wish to honor the memory and legacy of Myrna Raber, a donation may be made to The Monte and Myrna Raber Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, www.jewishfoundation.org (204) 477-7520.