With great sadness we announce the passing of Phyllis Boxer, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister. Phyllis passed away peacefully at the Heath Sciences Centre at age 93 on September 3rd, 2019.
Phyllis will be sadly missed by her loving family: Irene Boxer-Meyrowitz & Dr. David Meyrowitz (daughter & son-in-law), Jody Boxer-Leslie (grandson), Elana & Jonathan Waldman (granddaughter & grandson-in-law), Kaia Waldman (great granddaughter), Jesse Boxer-Meyrowitz (grandson), and her devoted sister, Cornelia Little.
The funeral was held at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, Friday, September 6th, 2019.
Phyllis was predeceased by her parents, Sylvia (Granovsky) and David Wolfe, her daughter Jackie, her husband Albert, and her brother Dr. Allen Wolfe.
Phyllis was born in Winnipeg in 1926, into a Russian-Jewish immigrant family. She was a middle child, with an older brother (Allen) and a younger sister (Cornelia). Phyllis grew up in Crescentwood. They were one of a handful of Jewish families living in south Winnipeg. Her Jewish roots were keenly felt.
She was an introvert, in a large extended eastern European family clan of extroverts. She was a free spirit, with an internal softness, yet a strong core like a diamond.
She went to Robert H. Smith School, Kelvin High School, and United College for Grade 12. She met and married her husband, Albert Boxer, around age 20.
Albert was 9 years older than she, interesting because 9 years was the difference in age between herself and each of her siblings. Albert was in the Air force during WWII, in the Italian campaign and in North Africa. He was a larger than life extrovert, just like Dave Wolfe (Phyllis’s father). My father Albert adored Phyllis and was very devoted to her happiness. They were a strong couple.
Phyllis loved beauty and surrounded herself with things of beauty. Her parents were in the retail clothing industry (Milady’s). My beautiful, glamourous and unique mother had the most gorgeous clothes in the world and was always stunning.
Phyllis had a strong love for Judaism, for our history, for learning, for education, and social justice issues. She and Albert were our role models for Tikun Olam. She loved reading and read incessantly. She did not have a TV.
Phyllis loved the arts. She was an accomplished piano and guitar player. She adored dancing and participated in several Winnipeg dance groups, dancing regularly until she was 90 years old. She loved ballet, tap and especially Flamingo dancing. We all remember going to her dance performances, watching my dad in the front row, quelling over his gorgeous and accomplished wife.
We all admired her inner strength, her spirit, her resilience, and her ability to put one foot in front of the other and keep going day by day through life’s adversities. She taught us to be strong, hopeful and resilient, and for those gifts, mom, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
In her late 80s Phyllis developed some health issues which slowed her down and gradually took her independence and eventually her life. She was fiercely independent, even until the day of her death.
Mom, we wish you a good journey, full of light and unconditional love.
Sincere thanks to hospital staff at Grace, St. Boniface and HSC, the Simkin Centre, Myra at Harmony Court, Dr. Bijay Johnson, Dr. Michael Cossoy, Dr. Kaldas and Dr. Ajao.
We are very grateful to the pallbearers, Jesse Boxer-Meyrowitz, Jon Waldman, Brett Gladstone, Avi Waldman, Daniel Moscovitch, and Zach Wiseman. We are fortunate to have such loving and loyal friends and family, who have supported us in so many ways, through the loss of so many of our family members. Thank you all for your support during these difficult times.
