Obituaries
SARA HOCHMAN
With love and sadness in our hearts we announce the peaceful passing of our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, Sara Hochman. Sara passed away at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 16, 2022 just 2 days after reaching her 100th birthday on April 14.
She was born during Passover and passed away during Passover 100 years later. For 58 years Sara was happily married to her husband Sam Hochman who predeceased her in 2008. Sara was the daughter of Celia and Sam Davis who predeceased her. She is also predeceased by her brother Louis Davis and sisters Annette Gordon and Rosetta Isenstein all of Calgary, Alberta. She is survived by her children Marcy and Barry Schwartz and Susan and Arnold Permut; cherished grandchildren Cara and Danny Stoller, Jill and Geoffrey Abraham, Hart Schwartz and Mandy Valin, Janie and Jeff Gilbert; beloved great-grandchildren Jacob, Josh and Alex Stoller; Joey and Sam Abraham; Zoe and Sam Gilbert. She is also survived by many dear nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 19 graveside at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, officiated by Rabbi Matthew Leibl, whom we wish to thank for his guidance and painting a beautiful picture of Sara with his eulogy. Thank you to the pallbearers, Cara, Danny, Jacob, Josh Alex Stoller and Jeff Gilbert. Honourary pallbearers were Butch Hochman, Marna Ramsey, Gerald Rosenby and Syd Halprin.
Sara was born in Rowley, Alberta on April 14,1922. She spent the first 15 years of her life in the small Alberta town of Rockyford. At the age of 8 she showed an interest and talent in playing the piano. The Davis family did not have a piano but the convent located near by did. The nuns offered to give Sara piano lessons. She excelled and the nuns eventually asked her to play the piano at Sunday services, which she did every Sunday until the age of 15 when the family moved to Calgary.
After high school and business college Sara worked as a medical secretary at The Colonel Belcher Convalescent Hospital. She enjoyed playing music to the patients and staff. In 1949 Sara moved to Winnipeg and met and married Sam Hochman. They enjoyed 58 years together. Sara always loved music. She maintains that she was born with the “Gift Of Music”. She felt that this blessing should be shared with others, particularly hospitals and nursing homes. She dedicated her life to a full volunteer musical career for over 60 years. She was providing music therapy before the term music therapy was recognized.
Sara was honoured with several awards during her volunteer career. Those included are the B’nai Brith Women’s Charlotte Meyers Memorial Service Tribute Award 1973; twice inscribed in the “Book of Life” at the B’nai Brith Children’s Home in Bat Vagan, Israel; Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award Jewish Federation. Sara felt very honoured to receive these awards. She always said “Her greatest reward was the positive response of the residents to her music” She loved and was loved by the Sharon Home/Simkin Centre residents. She made many lasting, loving relationships as well with the staff of the recreation department. Many other organizations were the recipients of Sara’s music-to name a few Gwen Secter Creative Living, Rady Centre, Deer Lodge Centre, many hospitals and nursing homes.
Music was not Sara’s only talent. She was a wonderful cook, baker and hostess. Many new arrivals to Winnipeg and many from other countries were invited to join our family at Friday dinner or other holidays.
Sara wanted a thank you to go out Dr Nadar Roman for great care and treating Sara so respectfully and to Dr Alan Finkleman for taking such good dental care. Thank you to the Simkin Centre staff for the care and respect given Sara. Many thanks to Dr. Louis Chung for his compassionate care to Sara and her family. A thank you is also extended to the caring staff of the Shaftesbury Retirement Residence where Sara lived for 8 years. Thank yous would not be complete without a thank you to the group of people whom our family relied on. The people we are referring to are Sara’s companions. A heartfelt thank you to Marie De LaCruz, Marian Candelaria and Maria Labao. Thank you for providing so much care, love and respect to Sara. Our family will always remember the three of you.
In 1999 Sara was honoured for 40 years of volunteer music therapy at the Simkin Centre. At that time The Sara Hochman Music Therapy Endowment Fund was established. We would appreciate donations to be directed to that fund at the Simkin Centre or to a charity of your choice.
Obituaries
RITA TRITT
March 29, 1925 – February 22, 2025
Just a month before her 100th birthday, Rita passed away peacefully with family by her side. She was the last of her generation of the large Weidman family, one of the earliest Jewish families in Winnipeg. Growing up in Winnipeg, she attended the University of Manitoba and the University of Minnesota, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from there. Rita was a very talented artist; she attended the Forum Art Institute for many, many years where she enjoyed the mentorship and camaraderie of fellow artists. She was proud of having sold several hundred pieces of her work over her time there.
Rita was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Joe Tritt, in 1986. She is survived by her loving family, her children: Jacki and Sheldon Koven, Steven Tritt and Sharon Goszer Tritt; grandchildren: Lesley Koven and Eric Thomas, Mara Koven-Lapointe and Ryan Lapointe, Joseph Tritt and Shaun Castor; great-grandchildren: Ayla and Eli Thomas, and Kate Lapointe.
Funeral services were held on February 24, 2025. Rita’s family is grateful for the warm and attentive care of Sherryl and Sergio and all the staff on Weinberg 1 at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre where Rita lived for the last 3 years. If friends wish, a donation in Rita’s memory can be made to the Simkin Centre or the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
Obituaries
ISABELLE BOOK
It is with sadness and gratitude for a life well lived, that we announce the passing of our family matriarch Isabelle Book. Izzy was born on November 21, 1925, and passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
She was predeceased by her parents Clara and Jacob Brownstein, her brother Walter, her sister Minnie Goldman, her beloved husband Arthur, her brother-in-law Noel and a fabulous group of women who shared a friendship that lasted decades.
She is survived by her 4 children, Warren and Faye Book, Marilyn and David Pressman, Jacqueline and Jory Stillwater and David and Elaine Book. She was a very proud Baba to Hilary Book, Deborah Book and Mike James, Laurie and Ginny Stillwater, Kayleigh and Barrett Ruggles, Adam Book and Gabe Bloomfield-Book and Seth Book and Amy Shore. She so enjoyed seeing pictures and videos of her great-grandchildren Hugo, Marcus, Reese, Maverick, Richie and Sullivan. She will also be greatly missed by her sister -in- law and dear friend Shirley Book.
Izzy had a great sense of humour and was often unable to get to the punchline of a joke because she was laughing so hard. She could be stubborn and strong minded. She would dig in her heels if she felt she was being pushed to make a decision she wasn’t ready to make. Izzy enjoyed time with family and friends but was also very comfortable with her own company.
Izzy knew what it meant to be a friend. She was a kind compassionate woman who cherished the people in her life and was always our biggest fan. Our mom was a quality human being who never forgot a birthday or anniversary. Izzy lived by the Golden Rule. She lived a long, healthy life but remained seriously young at heart.
There are memories to last a lifetime, ones that we will keep close as we honour her memory. We were blessed to have her for as long as we did, strong, loving and sharp until almost the end. She modeled what it meant to live a good life. She also did it on her terms.
The funeral took place on Sunday, February 9 at the B’nai Abraham Cemetery with Rabbi Kliel Rose officiating. Pallbearers were her grandchildren.
The family wishes to thank the incredible staff at the Rosewood (Maple House) where she lived. She bonded with many of the wonderful people who cared and supported her there.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.
Obituaries
Naomi Lander Rosenthal February 14, 1940 – February 12, 2025
Naomi Lander Rosenthal was born in Winnipeg and passed away two days shy of her 85th birthday. She was the daughter of Drs. Jacob Joseph (Jack) Lander, a respected and beloved family practitioner in Winnipeg, and Clara (Shnay) Lander, a literary scholar and past President of the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Board of Governors.
Naomi was a classically trained pianist and performed both formally and informally in many venues. She was always asked to play at any party where there was a piano. Her favorite classical piece was Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, which readers can listen to and enjoy here. Naomi was heavily influenced by the version played by the pianist Glenn Gould, which approximates how Naomi approached it. Naomi had a great appreciation for complexity in musical style and composition. Her piano repertoire extended from Bach and Brahms to Elton John and Billy Joel.
Naomi lived in Toronto from 1968-1988 and then moved back to Winnipeg in 1989 to help care for her father when he became ill. She worked in senior executive assistant roles from the 1970s through the early 1990s in insurance, government and the non-profit sectors before retiring at age 65. Her work ethic, perfectionism and sense of mission throughout her career made Naomi a beloved team member, who also fostered life-long friendships with her supervisors and even their families.
In addition to music, Naomi had many interests, including gourmet cooking, film, science fiction and fantasy, and politics. Naomi could engage anyone in any number of subjects and was particularly interested in health and medicine. Naomi will now go on to teach medical students through the University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ body donation program.
Naomi is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Ahava Rosenthal and Michael Shore, of Boston, MA; M. Sara Rosenthal and Kenneth Ain of Lexington, Kentucky; her grandchildren, Kayla Shore and Jacob Shore; her step-grandchildren, Maxwell Ain and Jacob Ain; her sisters, Myra Lander of San Mateo, California, and Judith Lander of Toronto; nephews Kalan Vuksanovich and Stephen Israels and many extended family members from the Lander families, Shnay families, and Rothberg families.
The family wishes to thank Richard (Dick) and Joanne Rothberg; Naomi’s wonderful caregivers at The Key, homecare assistance in Winnipeg, including Brian Boxall and Althea King; the Simkin Centre; and Elena Episcope for helping to make Naomi’s final years so much more comfortable.
A remembrance of Naomi will be held on Thursday evening, February 20th at 7 pm at 202 Lamont Blvd in Winnipeg. Donations in Naomi’s memory may be made to CancerCareManitoba or to the organization of your choice.
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