Obituaries
SHIRLEY MORRY
Shirley Morry passed away in Winnipeg on August 20, 2024.
Predeceased by her parents, Sally and Sam Slotnikov and survived by Julius Morry, her beloved husband of 67 years, her loving children, Howard (Hope), Jeff (Sarah), Marla (Ibrahim) and Karyn (Mark), her grandchildren, Josh (Sam), Samantha (Steve), Ben, Matthew and Joel, her sister Helen and nephew Gary. She will be missed by her many cousins and friends.
Shirley grew up in in a proud Jewish home in the fabled North End of Winnipeg. She had a quiet strength, dignity and purpose that made her a loyal friend. Her main purpose in life, as she saw it, was to raise her family. Dad once said to her “the kids are yours until they’re 10”, but 10 years turned into a lifetime, because Shirley never stopped being a mom. She was especially close to her girls, whom she spoke to every day, regardless of where they were. Those calls gave Marla and Karyn a lifetime of love and wisdom. Mom was their champion, their cheerleader, their confidante, with an innate ability to make them feel everything was going to work out. She showed us the true meaning of humility, they said. Mom also loved her boys. She knew the road to Jeff’s heart was through his stomach and made him all his favourites when he visited once a week, more for love and wisdom than for the peanut butter cookies. Jeff defined that wisdom as acceptance, embracing imperfections with an open heart. She instilled in him the value of grace under pressure, he said, a true role model for how to treat others. Early on, Mom entrusted Howard, often with more responsibility than he thought he could handle, which allowed him to aim high and risk failure, a subtle but essential life lesson. The family holds fond memories of summers spent at Falcon Lake and Winnipeg Beach. It is only looking back that we realize our endless summers were made possible by Mom looking after endless lunches and laundry. Howard watched as Mom embraced his wife Hope and his own kids, Josh and Samantha, who developed a close and loving relationship with their grandmother. As Shirley’s only granddaughter, Samantha loved “Bobby” to talk, as she put it. At the end of the day, it was more girl-talk than anything. Shirley loved Jeff’s wife, Sarah, and was so proud of their kids, her grandkids, Ben, Matthew and Joel, who had sleepovers when they were young and maintained a close relationship with Bobby all her life. Shirley was also close to Karyn’s partner, Mark, who was a big support to Mom during her health challenge, as well as to Karyn, who never left Mom’s side during that difficult time.
Shirley was raised by a force of nature, her mother, Sally. Bobby Sally, as we called her, lived on in Mom, as did her dad, Sam Slotnikov, a moral superhero who volunteered to serve in the Second World War at age 32. Shirley was a role model for her sister, Helen, who called Shirley her best friend. Her greatest adventure started when she met her bashert, Julius Morry, at a YMHA dance in 1954. Dad was full of big ideas and knew what he wanted from life, and that included a life partner who would share his dreams. He and his friends were finding it hard meeting Jewish girls, so Dad went to the head of the YMHA and proposed a monthly dance, where he would look after everything. Within a couple of months, the YMHA Dance was attracting 250 to 300 kids a month. A lot of marriages came out of those dances, including his own. He went to one fateful dance with his date, who introduced him to her best friend, Shirley Slotnikov. He remembers exactly what she was wearing, the colour of her skirt and hair. When he found out her Yiddish name was Tsipie, he decided he would never call her anything else. A couple of weeks later, he asked Tsipie to go steady, she said no, she was too young, so he asked her out every week, week after week, and she always said yes. Afraid to ask for her hand in marriage, one day he said, “when we’re married…”, and when Tsipie didn’t protest, he bought her a ring and booked the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. In the end, Mom wanted nothing more than to attend her grandson Josh’s wedding to his bashert, Sam Holloway. She lived to see the wedding ceremony on a live video feed from New York City, where the Rabbi gave her a shout out from the Bima. Mom was so proud of her loving family that day.
Mom, Bobby, Shirley, Tsipie, you are forever in our hearts. You live on in Dad, in us, in our kids, and soon in theirs. We will get through this together, as you would have wanted. As a family. As your family. We are grateful to Rabbi Matthew Leibl, who led a graveside service at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery followed by a meal of consolation at the Asper Jewish community Campus and a shiva at Howard and Hope’s home. The pallbearers were Shirley’s beloved grandchildren and her nephew, Gary. Donations may be made to The Shirley and Julius Morry Leave More Than Memories Endowment at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba or to the charity of your choice.
Obituaries
JACOB (JACK) KLEIMAN FEBRUARY 8, 1927 – AUGUST 19, 2024
It was with great sorrow that we announced the passing of Jacob (Jack) Kleiman (Jacob ben Moishe) on Monday August 19, 2024 (16, Av) in his 98th year.
He was predeceased by his parents, Maurice and Rose Kleiman, his brother, Harvey, and his sisters, Florence (the late Louis Selby), Betty (the late Joseph Gilfix) and Ruth (the late Ben Aisenstat). He is survived by his sister Ann of Bethesda, U.S.A. (the late Harold Eist). He will be missed by his many nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grand-nieces, great-grandnephews, and great-grandnieces.
Jack’s maternal grandparents were among the pioneer families established in the then Hirsch Colony (founded 1892) by the Jewish Colonization Association in the Southeast corner of Saskatchewan. Jack and his late brother Harvey lived and farmed on the same land purchased by their parents in the area.
In later years he and his brother developed many business interests: initially farm implement and automotive sales and later oil exploration companies including Poplar Developments Ltd., drilling locally. They were well known in the surrounding community and were generous supporters of local charitable initiatives such as the Estevan General Hospital.
Jack and his brother were the last Jewish farmers in the Hirsch area and over the years were the subject of many literary articles and television interviews. Jack and his brother helped to maintain the Jewish cemetery in the Hirsch area until it was taken over as a historical site by the province. Due to advancing age, the family farm was sold in 2016 and both retired to Calgary to be nearer to family. This marked the closing of one chapter of Jewish history in Canada.
Jack was a talented mechanic who remained married to the land and devoted to his family. He was ever of good spirit. Although frail in body, Jack remained active mentally and involved in life until the end being always interested in the happenings of his extended family.
It is hard to adequately sum up a long life marked by both hard work, dedication to family, and good humour. The entire family remember him and honour him with love, affection, and good memories.
The family wishes to thank the many friends and neighbours in the Estevan area who provided help and support during his last years and especially to his dedicated care givers in Calgary.
The funeral was held in Calgary on August 22, 2024, at the Chevra Kadisha Chapel with interment at the 37th Street Jewish Cemetery.
The unveiling will take place on July 27, 2025 at 11:30 AM at the same location. Donations may be made in Jack’s memory to the charity of your choice.
Obituaries
EDITH LANDY
June 30, 1920 – July 2, 2025
After a long and fulfilling life, our Mother passed on July 2, 2025. Born in Winnipeg, she grew up as part of a large extended family.
Mother was predeceased by her parents, Joseph Mayer Freiden and Rivka (nee Fordman), our father, David Landy, and her sisters Syma Katz and Jennie Rich. Edith is survived by her five children and their families: Laurie Landy and Nora Spinks, Barbara and Paul Livingston, Bob and Rhonda Landy, Mark Landy and Jenifer, and Martin Landy, her grandchildren Saralyn, Adam, Alex, Joshua, Ethan, Caitlin, David, Alicia, Lily, and six great-grandchildren, her cousins Norma Chernick and Shlomo Mayman and her many friends and relatives.
Mom grew up as part of a large extended family in the North End of Winnipeg, guided by her father’s values of service, community and the importance of family. She entered the School of Nursing at the Winnipeg General Hospital, now the Health Sciences Centre. She progressed from general duty nurse to nursing supervisor and served as the Assistant Director of Nursing for 15 years until her retirement in 1983. Over the course of her five-decade nursing career, she raised five children, managed a household, cared for many extended family members and remained actively involved in the community.
Community was a foundation of Mom’s life. Mom was very proud of her volunteering at the Winnipeg International Children’s Festival, Winnipeg Folk Fest and other community events. She and David were patrons of the arts, including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Manitoba Opera. In 2024, she was recognized as the longest continuous subscriber to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
The North Centennial Seniors Association played an important role in our parents’ later years. She ran her kitchen crew, supervised Hot Dog Day and provided food for many bus trips. Mom’s legacy was the Grandma Grandpa Swim Club, which she established, raised funds for, and built into a strong organization.
After a long and remarkable life of service and giving care, Mom accepted the need to receive care. The Family would like to thank Melita and Nelissa for their care and dedication, as well as the staff of the Simkin Centre, especially on Weinberg 2.
We cannot put into words how much she will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Joseph Freiden Scholarship for Jewish Studies at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.
A service was held July 4, 2025, at Chesed Shel Emes – Winnipeg.
Obituaries
SUSAN DIANA FRANKEL
In the kitchen above her to-do list, Susan Diana Frankel kept a comic strip of a mother bird encouraging her baby to take its first leap into flight. “Go for it!” reads the speech bubble above the mother bird. But a second bubble shows her thinking silently to herself: Just don’t go too far.
I’ve always thought that image perfectly captured our mom. She was our biggest cheerleader and greatest supporter – and out of sheer love, she wanted to spend as much time with her family as possible: Matthew and Elly, Robby and Rae, Jed and Eugenia, and our devoted dad, Harvey, her partner of 45 years. In addition to being a loving mother and spouse, she was a perfect grandmother – or “Boba” – to her three granddaughters: Romi, Esti, and Aria, whom she loved obsessively. Our mom passed away at home on June 4. She was our best friend, and to say we are devastated or that we will miss her greatly feels wholly inadequate.
Predeceased by her parents Max and Esther Weinstein and her older brother Joel (Cathie), she will forever be loved and remembered by her brothers Sidney (Grace) and Barry (Sharon), her sister Ronni (Michael), her confidante Edie (Marcel), as well as dozens of nieces, nephews, cousins, and very close friends.
Susan was born the youngest of five children on February 8, 1958, in Winnipeg. The Weinstein family lived in Melville, Saskatchewan, until 1963 before settling in Winnipeg for good. She spent summers in Gimli and at BB Camp, attended both Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate and the University of Winnipeg Collegiate, and later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba (as well as spending a semester at the University of Miami while visiting her parents at their winter condo in Florida – Go Hurricanes!).
My mom married our dad, Harvey, in 1981. They were a shining example of a loving partnership – completely devoted to each other in sickness and in health. They raised us three boys to be close and family-oriented. It feels strange to reduce some of my mom’s favourite places and memories to a list, but that list would include: the family cottage in Gimli, traveling to Palm Springs, Florida, Toronto, Hawaii, Italy, and Las Vegas, shopping and dining with friends and family, playing Mahj, chatting about movies and shows, dragging my dad to social outings and making him change his outfit before they left the house, watching Winnipeg Jets games, and constantly rewatching videos of her granddaughters.
Our mom had a way of making people she’d just met feel like part of her inner circle. She was genuinely interested in what you were doing, how it was going, and how she could help. She asked questions (sometimes a few too many!) because she cared – never because she was nosy. She had a wonderful sense of humour and truly loved to laugh. When something was really funny, you’d sometimes get a snort and even a tear or two. She was simply the best.
Our family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support we’ve received during this extremely difficult time. A special thank-you to the healthcare workers who gave our mom such a remarkable quality of life despite living with stage 4 cancer for more than seven years: Dr. Marshall Pitz, all the nurses and staff at CancerCare, her homecare worker Lisa, and our family’s incredible friend and caregiver, Gemma Marciano.