Oscar and Shirley met in 1945 at a dance in Leeds, Yorkshire, England where Oscar was serving in the Canadian Air Force during WWII. When Oscar said he would send Shirley a ticket to Winnipeg, she didn’t believe him, but lo and behold the ticket came.
Shirley, then 18 and never having ventured far from home, courageously boarded the Queen Mary to New York, then a train through Montreal, arriving in Winnipeg in the dead of winter to begin a new life with Oscar. They were married for 71 years.
Oscar and Shirley immediately began creating their family of 5 children: Sheppy (of blessed memory), David, Gary, Howie and Lisa. In 1980, Oscar and Shirley moved, first to Edmonton and then to Vancouver (with a brief return to Winnipeg in 2011 before moving back to Vancouver). Being very social, Oscar and Shirley developed a large group of close friends in every place they lived.
Oscar was born in Winnipeg to immigrant parents and grew up in Winnipeg’s famous north end with his 3 brothers. He attended St. Johns Tech, where he excelled in sports, especially soccer, despite being the “little guy”. In later years, Oscar curled and golfed. In his 70s, he could be seen rollerblading along the seawall at Stanley Park in Vancouver and he was also still refereeing men’s hockey at 80! Oscar first worked in the family meat business, and then in the restaurant supply business and later became a manufacturer’s agent.
Shirley grew up in Leeds, England. She and her brother were raised primarily by their father. Shirley stayed home with the children and was an excellent and busy cook and baker. With 4 boys born within 4 years and 5 months, it was a “boy-sterous” household, and their daughter Lisa, born 5 years later, fit right in with the action! Shirley loved her volunteer work with Hadassah (now known as CHW), including chairing their annual bazaar and serving as President of the Vancouver chapter. Shirley also loved to walk outside, especially along the seawall and duck pond, conveniently located just outside their Vancouver apartment.
Shirley and Oscar will be missed by their children, daughters-in-law Reesa, Pat, Mary-Ann, and Marla, son-in-law Allan, and 9 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren: Sheppy’s son Seth (Patricia, daughter Maja), David’s children: Anders (fiancée Aviva), Danielle (Reza, daughter Liviya), Camille (Josh, sons Jacob, Levi and Noah), Gary’s children: Jamie and Michael (Emily), Howie’s children: Jadah (Jerry, daughters Addyson and Danika) and Samara, and Lisa’s son Simcha, as well as other family and friends.
May Oscar and Shirley live forever in the hearts of all us.
If desired, donations may be made to Canadian Hadassah-Wizo (CHW) or a charity of your choice.
