Walter Sydney Stern, also known as Syd from Syd’s Carousel, peacefully passed away on Saturday, August 25, 2018, at the Grace Hospital, at the age of 93.
Walter is survived by his loving children, Jo Ann, Lewis and wife Deb and David and wife Marsha. Walter will be missed by his eight grandchildren, Kamala, Leyla, Sara, Max, Sawyer, Zev, Nathan and Jason. Walter also had a tribe of great-grandchildren that, while far away, connected with him often.
Walter dealt with many tragic events over his 93 years. His first wife Doreen (Eaton) and oldest son Keith both died of Cancer well before their time. Zora (Ditlove) his second wife, also died of Cancer and died exactly 17 years ago to the day and hour
of Walter’s passing.
Walter served with the R.C.A.F.’s 422 and 424 Bomber Command during the Second World War. Despite this experience and others during his life, Walter was a remarkable man who had a very positive view on life.
His many passions included hockey, baseball, the horse races and collecting hockey cards. His biggest passion was his family. Walter was selfless and would help family whenever and with whatever he could. He was centered on being able to do the right thing. Walter was a true “mensch” with a passion for his family and religion.
Walter’s positivity and his ability to adapt and move on were truly inspirational. Walter had the power to enter a room and change the mood. His warm smile meant he was very approachable and he could start a conversation with anyone as long as they were willing to talk about the weather, politics, the Winnipeg Jets or the Blue Bombers. Most importantly, he loved talking about his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They were the center of his life.
Walter’s family would like to thank the staff at the Grace Hospital, all of whom helped make Dad’s final hours as comfortable as they could be. You were kind, patient and sincere; much like our Dad was his whole life. Finally, we would like to thank Dr. Ismail Mohammed and his staff for over 40 years of personalized care.
DAD, WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE AND REMEMBER YOU.
The funeral was held on Monday, August 27 at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. A special thanks to Walter’s pallbearers: Ben Berkal, Mark Ditlove, Cyril Labman, David Pfeffer, Max Stern and Zev Stern.
In keeping with Walter’s wishes and spirit, in lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the Shaarey-Zedek Minyan Fund Synagogue or a charity of your choice.
