Obituaries
RONALD (RUBIE) POLINSKY March 5, 1929- July 16, 2023
Peacefully on Sunday, July 16, 2023, surrounded by his family, Ronald (Rubie) Polinsky passed away at 94 years of age. Rubie was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Phyllis (2016), parents Ida and Sam Polinsky, brother Dave Polinsky, sister Blumie Portnoy, sister-in-law Betty Polinsky, and brother-in-law Iser Portnoy.
He will be greatly missed by his daughter Sandra (Walter), son Max (Donna), grandchildren Daniel (Allison), Mia (Julian), Amy (Johnny), Marc (Devin), Paul (Katie), his great-grandchild, Eli as well as many nieces and nephews.
Rubie was born and lived his entire life in Winnipeg. He grew up in the north end, attending Peretz and Machray schools, graduating from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949.
Rubie carried on his parents’ tradition of supporting, volunteering, and giving his resources to the Jewish community. Rubie was also active in the Rotary Club and a board member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
In 1950, Rubie entered the family business, City Machinery. In April 1951, he married the love of his life, Phyllis Geller. Later that year his father died, leaving Rubie and Dave to run the company for roughly 40 years.
Rubie was a man who loved people. He had no ego, never taking the spotlight or wanting credit for anything. He acted from the goodness of his heart, always caring, and trying to help others. Rubie didn’t guide us with words of wisdom. He taught us through his actions.
Rubie miraculously survived a horrific plane crash in 1964. He went on to live a full life, extending kindness and making a difference in the lives of the people he touched.
Rubie had an adventurous side that led him to travel to places far and wide. He was a maverick, travelling to the Orient for business in the 1960s long before it was commonplace.
Rubie had many passions. He loved Asian food and sought out the latest new restaurants. He was a boater all his life and spent many hours on Lake Winnipeg, no matter how rough the lake was. He loved golf and would recount every shot he took with his buddies after completing a round.
He was also passionate about music. In his teens, Rubie learned to play trumpet by ear. He couldn’t read a note! Later in life, he and Phyllis went on jazz cruises and spent many nights spinning jazz records with close friends.
Finally, his main passion was his wife, Phyllis. Rubie spied a beauty while sitting in front of Kelekis on Main St. and asked, “Who is that girl?”. They were inseparable from that point on.
We are most grateful to Tess Padilla and Hilda Perez for caring for Rubie with love and kindness. They also provided exceptional care for his siblings Dave and Blumie. Rubie appreciated and felt deep gratitude for you both.
We wish to thank Rubie’s nephew Martin Simmons for his constant support, especially as his health declined.
Thank you to the formidable staff at The Simkin Centre for the compassionate support and care during the last months of Rubie’s life.
The funeral was held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, eloquently presided over by Rabbi Matthew Leibl. Pallbearers were Daniel Polinsky, Mia Francl, Marc Francl, Walter Francl, Susan Portnoy, and Martin Simmons.
If desired, contributions in memory of Rubie Polinsky will be gratefully accepted by the “Phyllis and Ronald Polinsky Fund” at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, or a charity of your choice.
Rest in peace, Dad. We will all miss you.
Obituaries
MARILYN ABOSH
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Marilyn, on April 29. Marilyn was predeceased by her parents Dave & Eva.
Left to cherish her memory are her younger brothers Allan (Leslie) and Harold (Elizabeth), niece Dory (David) her children Coleman & Ryan; nephew Paul and his children Dovid and Eden. She also leaves to mourn many cousins and extended family and friends.
Marilyn was born in Winnipeg, and grew up in the North End. Marilyn shared a home full of love and Jewish Traditions. She was a warm, kind & gentle person with a strong will & spirit that touched the lives of those who knew her. She was challenged with cerebral palsy at birth which stole her dream of becoming a nurse, however she was able to live independently on her own.
Marilyn was willing to try many things in life and her greatest joy was when she discovered the benefit of tai chi and through her 15 years of practice she became an “assistant instructor for beginners”. We were all so proud when Marilyn passed the St. John’s Ambulance First Aid Emergency Course and in 2006 was awarded the “MLA Red River Award” for the volunteer work performed at the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre.
Since 2011, Marilyn found joy in helping the staff at the Saul & Claribel Simkin Center where she had resided and emerged as the “Resident Artist”. A special thanks to the staff at Weinberg 3 at the Simkin Centre who showed their kindness & compassion to Marilyn over the years.
A graveside service was held May 2, at the Hebrew Sick Benefit Cemetery.
We love & miss you Marilyn.
Obituaries
FAYGEE HARRIET HECHT (née YUFFE)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Faygee Hecht on April 15, 2024. Faygee was born on September 3, 1954 to parents, Louis and Elsie Yuffe. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Phil, and sister-in- law, Maddy. Left to mourn her passing are: partner, Rob Irvine; siblings, Howard Yuffe, Stephen (Randie) Yuffe, Corky (Stephen) Rosenfield, Debbie (Abe) Braverman; her nieces and nephews, Lee, Rebekah, Sharla, Lorne, Erin, Lana; the “greats”, Cayla, Hannah and Jake, Charley and Ben, Saul and Louis, Adam; Rob’s family, Rupert and Nicole (Michael, Zizza, Trevor), Victoria; extended family and friends. Whatever job or project Faygee took on, it was done 100%. Faygee was very involved at the Etz Chayim Synagogue. She was truly a “minyannaire extraordinaire”. Faygee was always worrying about others before herself. This one of a kind essence was captured in eulogies by Rabbi Rose, Rebekah and Erin and her friends, AnnaGail and Faina. Thank you. Thank you to the compassionate and caring staff of the Grace Hospital ICU. Faygee was laid to rest on April 17th at the Hebrew Sick Cemetery. Thank you to pallbearers: Sean, Lee, Gavin, Jared, Royle, Benji, Harlan and Morgan. Donations in memory of Faygee can be made to the charity of your choice.
Obituaries
Lorraine Norma Reiner (nee Reich)
It is with deep sorrow that the family of Lorraine Reiner announces the passing of our mother and baba after a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her children, Marlaina (Hillel) and Susan (Wil), her grandchildren, Sarah (Justin), Jordana (Blake), and Micah, and her great grandson, Elias. She was predeceased by her parents Rose and Sam, her husband Barry, her brother Max, her son Sam, and her granddaughters June and Beth.
Lorraine, at her core, was a loving caregiver. Lor-raine‘s father died when she was only eight years old. She grew up helping her mother with household and family chores after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She cared for her mother-in-law, husband, and cousin during their battles with ill-nesses and final stages of life.
We remember Lorraine as a woman whose love for her family knew no limits. She adored her children and grandchildren and formed special bonds with each of them. Her family was everything to her, and she meant the world to her family. She stepped into the role of Baba Lorraine with open arms and an enormous heart; there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children and grandchildren. Lorraine was surrounded by her family during her final stage of life.
Cooking was an important part of Lorraine’s identi-ty. She was most famous for her chicken soup and S-cookies and she loved to spread joy and comfort through sharing her cooking with others. She always had a freezer stocked with homemade meals and anytime a family member felt unwell, she was at the ready with a batch of “Jewish penicillin”.
Lorraine had a diverse and eclectic resume that in-cluded office work for all three Jewish Newspapers, including The Jewish Post, The Western Jewish News, and The Yiddeshe Vort. Later she worked as office staff at Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate and As-troid Management. Her final job was an 11-year tenure as a clerk for the City of Winnipeg’s Assess-ment Department.
Lorraine loved sharing stories with everyone and had a special way of getting lost in a story. Any-one who had the pleasure of listening to one of Lor-raine’s stories knows how her mood instantly lit up when she had the opportunity to share. Her stories, alongside her recipes, will live on through her loved ones.
The funeral was held at the Chesed Shel Emes on Tuesday March 26, followed by a burial service at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Blake Nichols, Justin Odwak, Cal & Asher Reich, Brian Rosenberg, Wil Scheiring, Sean Smith, and Micah Sommer. Honorary pallbearers were Mickey Rosenberg & Alan Schweid.
The family wishes to thank the numerous health-care staff who participated in Lorraine’s care over the past couple of months, especially the wonderful staff at the Health Sciences Centre H3 surgical unit, Drs. Bubis, Goldenberg, Lipschitz, Shell, and Visser.
