Manitobans' legacy a better province

Enlarge Image

Born on a trapline, Oscar Lathlin rose to become Manitoba’s well-respected minister of aboriginal and northern affairs. (WAYNE GLOWACKI/ WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

It was a year that saw the loss of a champion of aboriginal people, two volunteers who helped make the city what it is today, a broadcaster and a creator of flowers.

We also lost a person whose most public act was his death, along with one of our best-known symbols of Christmas.

Oscar Lathlin was born on a trapline but later walked the halls of provincial power.

Lathlin, 61, began his political career as chief of The Pas Indian band in 1985. He was elected MLA for The Pas in 1990 and served first as minister of conservation and later as aboriginal and northern affairs minister.

Lathlin was known as a champion of the North and of First Nations.

"Oscar was a very humble, but a very important, Manitoban," Attorney General David Chomiak said after Lathlin's death on Nov. 2.

"In cabinet, he didn't talk that often, but when he did, everyone listened."

Cam MacLean was a lawyer who helped his community in numerous ways.

MacLean, who died March 22 at 87, was president and chairman of several organizations, including The Forks Renewal Corp., Rainbow Stage, the St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation and the Progressive Conservative Association of Manitoba. He also served with many other organizations.

The research centre's building at the St. Boniface General Hospital was renamed the G. Campbell MacLean Building in his honour.

Harold Buchwald, 80, was a lawyer, community leader and contributor to the Winnipeg Free Press.

Buchwald, who died April 17, spent years arguing that the city's arts organizations needed stable funding sources. He later became the first executive director of Arts Stabilization Manitoba Inc.

Buchwald was chairman of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra after it was bailed out by the province.

His most recent work was helping save the area around the Upper Fort Garry Gate and assisting the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.

He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1993.

For many Canadians, Don Wittman, who died Jan. 19 at 71, was the voice of Canadian sport.

With the CBC, Wittman covered 18 summer and winter Olympic Games as well as many other sporting events in this country and around the world.

Jerry Twomey was more than just one of the Ts in T&T Seeds -- he was a plant genetic specialist.

Twomey, who was born in 1915 and died in April, was only 24 when he created a pure white gladiola with a scarlet blotch. It won the World's Most Beautiful Glad award at the 1939 World's Fair.

Twomey worked at McFayden Seed Company and the federal Department of Agriculture, where he helped develop dwarf wheat varieties in Russia and Asia.

As an amateur rose breeder, he received two All American Awards two years consecutively for Sheer Elegance and All That Jazz, and a European award for his Audrey Hepburn rose.

In his private life, Twomey assembled a huge collection of Inuit art, which he donated to the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Samuel Golubchuk was a religious man who spent his working life running a grocery store in Portage la Prairie, then worked for Dominion Electric and Acklands in Winnipeg before retiring.

But it was Golubchuk's death, not his life, that propelled him to public prominence.

Before Golubchuk died June 24 at 85, he was at the centre of a fight between his family and the medical community over who determines when someone dies.

His son and daughter won an injunction that prevented doctors at Grace General Hospital from removing their father from life support. The legal question was never decided because Golubchuk died before the case went to trial.

For many Winnipeggers, Byrdye Beckel came to personify the true meaning of Christmas.

Beckel, executive director of the Christmas Cheer Board for 21 years, was the public face of the organization, which helps the city's needy celebrate Christmas with food and presents.

For her volunteerism, Beckel, who died May 12 at 80, received the Premier's Volunteer Service Award and was inducted into the Order of the Buffalo Hunt.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Notable:

Jan. 10 - Grant Dominy, 79. He worked with numbers, and he helped his community. He was president of the Woodhaven Community League, the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club and the Children's Hospital Research Foundation.

Jan. 13 - Albert Fontaine, 94. He worked at many jobs throughout his life, including trapper, train conductor, maintenance engineer and prospector. But he made his mark as chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation. While serving as chief from 1964 to 1966, he spearheaded community developments still evident today. At the time of his death, he was the oldest male member at the reserve. His nephew is Phil Fontaine, grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Jan. 21 - Hans Peter Langes, 82. He studied architecture in his native Germany, but Manitoba became the beneficiary of his work. After coming to Canada immediately upon graduation in 1951, he designed many schools in the province, as well as the RM of St. Clements office building and the former CNR Training Centre in Gimli. He received a preservation award from Heritage Winnipeg for his work in the renovation of the old Law Courts Building in Winnipeg. But for generations of children, his greatest achievement was the Witch's Hut in Kildonan Park.

Jan. 26 - Diane Wolch, 72. Stocks and arts were in her blood. She was the first female stockbroker at Burns Fry Ltd. in Winnipeg and was appointed to both the Manitoba Securities Commission and later the British Columbia Securities Commission. She also served as president of both the Junior League in Winnipeg and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's board of directors. Later, she was a member of the board of Pacific Opera Victoria.

Jan. 27 - Jonathan Farr, 32. He played hockey, but it was lacrosse that he loved. He learned how to play in British Columbia and took his game to another level here. He represented Manitoba five times in national competition on the Junior A box lacrosse all-stars and in the under- 19 and senior divisions. He went to an American college and was later named a Deep South Conference all-star and an All-American.

Jan. 29 - Eileen Duncan, 92. To say she was busy during her life would be an understatement. She had five children, but after her husband died she became president of the James Duncan Singers, which produced shows at the Hollow Mug Restaurant, as well as being executive secretary to the general manager of the International Inn. She helped the community through her work as provincial president of the P.E.O. Sisterhood (Philanthropic Educational Organization), which has 250,000 members across North America. She was also president of the Inner Wheel Club of Winnipeg, made up of women whose partners are Rotary Club members, which is a chapter of one of the world's largest women's voluntary service organizations.

Feb. 2 - Al Campbell, 87. His job was working for the province's Government Air Service, but he also worked hard for his local community. He was mayor of Lac du Bonnet from 1964 to 1971 and served as a councillor there for 24 years.

Feb. 5 - Donna Blight, 71. She worked as a nurse, trained nurses and oversaw other nurses. But she also nursed in the community through her volunteer work. She worked for the Victoria Order of Nurses and trained nurses at St. Boniface General Hospital. She was the registrar for the Manitoba Association of Registered Nurses. She also served as president of the University Women's Club of Winnipeg from 1995 to 1997 and president of the Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba in 1999. She was recognized for her accomplishments at last year's inaugural Celebrating Women gala held by the Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba.

Feb. 6 - John O'Connor, 75. Born on the Prairies, wheat was in his blood. After graduating from agriculture and business programs, he took a job as a feed salesman with Purity Flour Mills in Nova Scotia. He then joined the federal government and worked in Canada and Germany to promote our country's agricultural interests. He came to Winnipeg in 1981 as executive director of the Canadian Grain Commission while continuing on as a board member of the Canadian International Grains Institute.

Feb. 10 - Anne Smigel. She taught many children through her years in education, but also taught many people about philanthropy. Rising through the education system, she became the first Canadian woman of Ukrainian descent to be appointed a principal in the Winnipeg School Division. She volunteered with many service organizations, serving as a founding member of Altrusa International of Winnipeg and as the first Canadian governor of the organization's District 7. She gave generously to many charities. She established a scholarship in her name at the University of Manitoba to help students studying Ukrainian heritage in Canada. She was honoured with the Alpha Omega Alumnae Woman of the Year award, the city's community services award and the Centennial Medal for Teaching Excellence. She earned an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Manitoba in 2004.

Bill Juzda, 87. He was called The Beast because of his crushing bodychecks in the NHL. A famous photograph shows Juzda checking Rocket Richard into the boards, smashing the glass above. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1948 to 1952, was named an all-star twice, and was on two Stanley Cupwinning teams. After his hockey career ended, he coached amateur hockey in Winnipeg at all levels and was a train engineer. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

Feb. 12 - Violet Scholes, 87. Little did she know that when she and her husband, Ray, got involved in the Second World War, it would be four long years before they saw each other again. She volunteered with the St. John's Ambulance Brigade in England to help treat the injured. Her role was honoured when she became the first woman volunteer eligible for veteran's status.

Feb. 18 - Chet Tesarowski, 72. Education was not only his vocation, it was his humanitarian work. He taught in several communities across the province before joining the federal government to develop a model secondary school in Malaysia. Back in Manitoba, he was honoured with the Premier's Award for helping start the Lions Eye Bank of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. He also helped start foundations in both the Evergreen and Frontier school divisions and he was elected a school trustee in Evergreen. In recent years, he founded The Friends of Mexico, a non-profit group of Canadian and American residents in Mazatlan who wanted to help local children go to school, and served as its first president in 1999.

Feb. 19 - Winelda Gardner, 79. She was raising her children in Riverview when she began volunteering in the community. She was president of the Riverview Home and School and then joined the Liberal party to get Margaret Konantz elected. She later ran for MLA in 1968 and became the first woman president of a political party when she was elected president of the Manitoba Liberal Party. She fought for women's issues and served as first vice-president of the Canadian Council for the Status of Women and executive director of the Women's Employment Counselling Centre.

Feb. 23 - Barry Mulder, 48. He followed in his father's footsteps into the construction industry, but he brought innovation to both his company and the local heavy construction industry itself. He joined Mulder Construction after graduating from the University of Manitoba and ran it for several years. He also served as president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.

Feb. 24 - Norma Heeney, 87. She was a trailblazer in every endeavour she went into. She was the first woman in Canada to be the general manager of a major hotel when she became GM at the Viscount Gort. Before remarrying, as Norma Price she became the only woman elected as MLA in 1977 -- and the sixth woman ever elected to the legislature in Manitoba at the time -- when she took Assiniboia for the Progressive Conservatives. She became the province's second female cabinet minister when she was appointed labour minister and then tourism, culture and historic resources minister. She didn't run in the 1981 election. She later was chairwoman of the prison chaplain's volunteers at-home visiting program, was honoured with a Women of the Year award from the YWCA in 1977, and was one of the first inductees into the Women Business Owners of Manitoba Hall of Fame.

Feb. 24 - Ralph Hamovich, 92. At an early age he became a strong supporter of Zionism and became one of the youngest members of the Zionist Council as president of the Jewish National Fund. He was executive director of the Mid-West region of the Zionist Organization of Canada and later the executive director of the Canadian Zionist Federation. He founded and organized the first 12 Negev Galas, organized the Israel Bond drives in Winnipeg, and for 12 years was campaign director for the Combined Jewish Appeal. He also was president of the Maple Leaf Curling Club and an honorary life member of both this club and the Manitoba Curling Association.

Feb. 25 - David Blake, 82. A banker by trade, he made deposits in both volunteerism and politics. He worked with the Royal Bank and was branch manager in Glenboro before opening branches in Selkirk and Swan River. He was president of the Royal Canadian Legion branches in Selkirk and Minnedosa, the Kiwanis clubs in Selkirk and Swan River, and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. After being asked by former premier and local MLA Walter Weir, he ran in the Minnedosa riding and was elected in 1971. He was re-elected in the next four elections. Feb. 27 - Stella Sawchyn, 87. You may not have known her, but you've probably seen her creation on the backs of people for years. While working in the 1940s for Mary Maxim, now the largest mail-order company for needlework and craft kits in North America, she designed the company's Reindeer sweater. More than 50 years later, you can still purchase the knitting kit.

Feb. 28 - Morley Globerman, 85. Vice-president and general manager of Globerman Bros. Ltd., he was founding president of the Manitoba Furniture Manufacturers Association. He was also the president of the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council, chairman of the Combined Jewish Appeal, national vicepresident of the Western Region Canadian Jewish Congress, vice-president of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba's board of governors, and a member of several other boards in the city. After retiring, he joined the Canadian Executive Service Organization and the Counselling Assistance to Small Enterprises and finished more than 80 projects around the world.

March 1 - Marianne Bossen. She taught economics at Lakehead University and then the University of Winnipeg. She did groundbreaking research for the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. She became a private consulting economist in 1972, and the first woman named YWCA Woman of the Year in the business category in 1977. Later, pushed because of her disabilities, she was a member of the province's advisory committee that established self-managed home care. She was recognized by Winnipeg Transit for her contributions to the task force reviewing Handi-Transit issues.

March 2 - George Depres, 80. He quarterbacked his junior football team and later quarterbacked the facilities the city's major sports teams played in. He was the quarterback for the Winnipeg Rods before playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. His playing career cut short by a knee injury, he coached the Rods to five Canadian junior championship games, winning three titles. He then was general manager of the Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation, which ran the Winnipeg Stadium, Winnipeg Arena, Velodrome and the Highlander Sportsplex, from 1979 to 1994. He was president of the Manitoba Hockey Foundation and was later inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. March 3 - Richard Smith, 90. He worked with apartments and real estate, but his legacy is helping the blind. He was president of the family business, The Smith Agency Ltd. He volunteered with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, starting in 1962, became Manitoba CNIB chairman from 1974 to 1979, and was elected president of the national CNIB in 1979, at the time only the third non-Torontonian to hold the position. He served as a member and president of the Winnipeg Rotary Club, attaining an incredible 50 years of perfect attendance. For his volunteerism, he received the volunteer award from the Governor General.

March 4 - Joan Reimer, 74. The annual Christmas tradition she and her late husband, Gordon, created will live on without her. An artist who graduated in fine arts from the University of Manitoba, she and her husband, who died 16 years ago, created and built The Three Wise Men statues that are displayed outside Great-West Life every Christmas. Their company, Reimer Display, also created the Flintabbatey Flonatin statue in Flin Flon.

March 4 - Linda Cantiveros, 61. She was one of Winnipeg's most influential Filipino leaders, arriving in Canada with her husband in 1974. She was the founder and editor-in-chief of the Filipino Journal, president of the Philippine-Canadian Centre of Manitoba, and was named one of the most outstanding Filipinos in Canada and North America.

March 7 - Abraham Dueck (A.D.) Penner, 97. Steinbach is known as the automobile city, thanks to him. He grew up on a farm, but when he left there, he founded a Dodge dealership in 1937 -- later renowned for having the first public washrooms in the community. He coined the phrase "The Automobile City" and became a councillor from 1947 to 1957, then mayor from 1971 to 1980. A park is named for him in Steinbach.

March 8 - Leo Remillard, 89. The local French community lost one of its pillars when he passed away. He was one of the first radio announcers when CKSB took to the air in 1946, and was program director when Radio-Canada extended its signal into Winnipeg in 1960. When he retired in 1983, he was director of CBC Radio for the Prairie provinces. He acted in many Cercle Molière productions and was considered the "godfather" of the company. A high school in the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine was named for him in 2006.

March 12 - Judy Silver, 57. She helped many of the city's students as a trustee on the Seven Oaks school board for 27 years. During several of those years she was chairwoman of the board. She also served as president of the Manitoba Association of School Trustees.

March 13 - Ralph Campbell, 89. He was the eighth president of the University of Manitoba from 1976 to 1981, during which he made the university more accessible to mature students. But he was busy in the years before and after he lived in Manitoba. He was an adviser to Jordan from 1962 to 1964 and Kenya from 1970 to 1972. When he was principal of Scarborough College at the University of Toronto from 1972 to 1976, he spearheaded the first co-operative program at the university. He was named a member of the Order of Canada in 1986. March 15 - Mel Meltzer, 86. His family, law, faith, and community service were his life. He was honoured by the Law Society of Manitoba in 2000 for his 50-year legal career. He was the first Canadian president of B'nai Brith District 6, which is made up of four provinces and eight states. He was president of the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council and a member of the city's Cross Cultural Relations Committee.

March 18 - Gerald Libling, 77. Many Winnipeggers might not have known him, but they know -- and live in -- the buildings his architectural firm designed. He graduated with an architecture degree from the University of Manitoba when he was 21 and founded Libling Michener and Associates, now known as LM Architectural Group. While there, some of the buildings he designed and built include One Evergreen Place, the Courts of Saint James, Place Louis Riel, and Holiday Tower North.

March 22 - George Friesen, 81. Most people try getting rid of weeds -- he became an expert in them. He received his plant science master's degree in weed science at the University of Manitoba and later received his doctorate at Washington State University. He became a professor in weed science at the U of M, teaching the first weed science course ever taught in the country, and also came up with new weed-control measures. He was known as "Weedy Friesen" at conferences around the world and wrote a book, 50 Years with Weeds. He was president of the Weed Science Society, Manitoba Agronomists, and the Campus Credit Union Society, and chairman of the Canadian Expert Committee on Weeds and Christian Investors in Education. He was honoured with awards by the International Weed Science Society and he was made a Fellow of the Weed Science Society of America.

March 29 - Alexandra Pawlowsky, 55. Believed to have received the first PhD in the world for Ukrainian-Canadian heritage studies, she was a senior administrator at the Centre for Ukrainian-Canadian Studies and taught at the U of M for 26 years. She was an expert in Ukrainian-Canadian pop culture.

March 31 - Kazimierz Smolinski, 89. Born in Poland, he volunteered with the Polish army before the outbreak of the Second World War and was honoured with several medals, including Poland's highest medal, the Virtuti Militari, for saving the life of a fellow soldier. After the war, he came to Winnipeg, where he played leading or founding roles in establishing the SPK (Polish Combatants Association in Winnipeg) and the Holy Spirit Credit Union. He was honoured as Big Brother of the Year several times by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg.

April 1 - Hugh McDonald, 80. Trained as a lawyer, he joined the family business and was president of McDonald Grain Company for several years. He was a chairman of Balmoral Hall School and the Children's Hospital Research Foundation as well as an honorary life member of the PC Party of Manitoba.

April - Norman Stern. He started his career at Western Glove Works shortly after graduation from the University of Manitoba and rose to become a partner and owner of the company.

April 2 - Margaret Hart, 100. As a nurse, she accomplished many firsts in the country. A pioneer in the province's public health nursing, she was the director of the University of Manitoba School of Nursing from 1948 to 1972. One of the first nurses in the country to get a doctoral degree in nursing, she set up the province's first university nursing program. She was president of the Canadian Association of University Schools of Nursing from 1966 to 1968, honoured with the country's Centennial Medal, and received a Doctor of Laws degree and professor emeritus status from the University of Manitoba.

April 5 - Bill Turnock, 78. He looked for ways to control bugs in agriculture. After graduating from the universities of Manitoba and Minnesota, he joined the federal department of forestry and agriculture, doing research into biological and integrated pest control in Canada. He was president of the Entomological Society of Canada and the Entomological Society of Manitoba.

April 8 - Norma Busby, 78. A nurse, she spearheaded a national federal nurses' strike that led to salary increases and benefits for nurses across the country. She was key to developing national guidelines for occupational health nursing certification and she sparked the Nurses at Risk program, the first in the country. She received the Confederation Medal in 1992.

April 10 - Ross Smith, 77. A civil engineer by profession, he was president of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Canadian Football League.

April 11 - Narain Gupta. Born in India and receiving his PhD in mathematics in Australia, he came to the University of Manitoba in 1967, where he became a professor, distinguished professor, and eventually distinguished professor emeritus. He authored and co-authored dozens of mathematics papers and articles and received many awards and honours, including Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Senior NATO Scientist Award. His solution with a conjecture to the "dimension sub group problem" earned him a mention in the Encyclopedia Britannica.

April 14 - Margaret Costantini. From the end of the Second World War to 1979, there were several Manitoba premiers, but she was the only executive administrator. She was hired while Stuart Garson was premier and then served Douglas Campbell, Duff Roblin, Walter Weir, Ed Schreyer and Sterling Lyon. She was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 1979 after almost 50 years of service to six premiers.

April 28 - Aubrey Hirschfield. A lawyer in southwest Manitoba, he was appointed a justice in the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench in 1985 and served until his retirement in 1999. While in Brandon, he was chairman of the Western Bar Association and the Brandon Area Foundation.

April 30 - Gerald Dougall, 68. He started as a teacher in Flin Flon, rising to become superintendent of the Flin Flon School Division in 1972. From there, he was superintendent of the Dauphin-Ochre River School area and then the Whiteshell School District. While superintendent, he was president of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents and was one of only two Canadians in 1986 to be named to the Executive Educator 100 top school executives in North America.

May 11 - Jack MacIver, 83. Selling cars was where he found his calling. He became owner of Midway Chrysler Plymouth in 1969 and was recognized as the Time Life Dealer of the Year for 1985. He was best known for the slogan, "Where you're the boss." He was also president of the Winnipeg Lions Club, the St. Andrews Society of Winnipeg and the Manitoba Motor Dealers Association, and was chairman of the Duval Foundation.

May 13 - John 'Nick' Cholakis, 85. He began with flowers, but hamburgers are what he became best known for. He was born in Greece and came to Canada in 1951. He looked after the greenhouses for Broadway Florists before buying a restaurant in Headingley. He ran Nick's Inn for more than 40 years.

May 20 - Brad Hughes, 53. He was one of the reasons we love Winnipeg. He was editor-in-chief and co-owner of the Fanfare Magazine Group, which publishes the Winnipeg edition of Where magazine, the local food and entertainment magazine Ciao!, and other travel-industry journals. He was the first chairman of the city's CentrePlan, which became CentreVenture. He helped found Tourism Winnipeg and developed the ad campaign 100 Great Reasons to Love Winnipeg.

May 20 - Don Cardinal, 71. An aboriginal political activist, he and his brother Harold were the prime forces behind the federal government not going ahead with a proposal to extinguish treaty rights in the late 1960s. Their Red Paper response later led to the creation of the national Assembly of First Nations and decades of legal victories for treaty rights.

May 20 - Charlie Finnbogason, 54. Managing shopping centres across the country was his vocation. He last managed St. Vital Centre, but also managed Unicity Mall, Scarborough Town Centre, and Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

June 4 - George Henderson, 92. He was a farmer and real estate appraiser and broker who did community service work and dabbled in politics. He was president of Manitoba Co-operative, mayor of Manitou and the Progressive Conservative MLA for Pembina from 1969 to 1977.

June 5 - Ben Zaidman, 85. He was a child of the Depression and never forgot the hardship he and others faced. He worked at the CNR Transcona Shops and served as president of Local 409 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, as well as on boards with the Winnipeg Labour Council and the Manitoba Federation of Labour. He was president of the provincial Home and School Association, and a longtime trustee with Seven Oaks School Division, serving as chairman for four terms.

June 6 - Don Martin, 66. He started with the RCMP, but later owned the Shoreliner Hotel and the Gimli Theatre. He later chaired the Gimli Public Art Committee for the community from 1999 to earlier this year.

June 8 - Mireille Grandpierre-Kantor, 82. Ballet was in her blood at a young age growing up in France. She first performed at five years of age and by nine she was deemed a prodigy and danced for the French president. She received a world gold medal for ballet in 1939. After the Second World War, she married Max Kantor and moved to Winnipeg, where she began a ballet conservatory on Roslyn Road.

June 12 - Ivan Biblow. As an educator, he was responsible for taking the Winnipeg School Division's special-needs students out of a school devoted solely to them (Ellen Douglass School) and integrating them with others. For this he received the Merit Award from the Council for Exceptional Children. He later was president and governor of the Council for Exceptional Children and chairman of the Children's Home of Winnipeg, now called New Directions. He retired as principal of Stanley Knowles School.

June 22 - Bill MacLeod, 93. He learned how to play the bagpipes from his father and played with the army during the Second World War. He went on to instruct hundreds of students in Western Canada as principal of the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts piping program, as well as kids at the International Music Camp at the International Peace Gardens. He was president of the Prairie Pipe Band Association, named to the Order of the Buffalo Hunt in 1991, and given a Manitoba Good Citizenship award by the lieutenant-governor in 1979.

June 25 - Harry Munro, 95. His work as a bus driver drove him to help other working people. He went from being recording secretary of the transit union to secretary- treasurer and executive secretary of the Winnipeg and District Labour Council. He also served as chairman of the Winnipeg Housing Authority, vice-chairman of the Winnipeg Police Commission, and a member of the boards of the United Way, Social Planning Council, and Age and Opportunity.

June 25 - Bill Robinson, 86. Hockey was always in his blood. He played on the team that won the 1941 Memorial Cup. He coached the University of Manitoba Bisons hockey team that won the Canadian Collegiate Championship in 1965. He became the original Winnipeg Jets director of player personnel in 1972, and signed all the players, including Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. He was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.

June 27 - George Dyck, 68. Due to a childhood accident, he used a wheelchair most of his life and helped the disability community. He was a graduate in the first class of nuclear medicine technologists and an instructor at the Health Sciences Centre. He was president and an interim executive director of the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, and served on the boards of numerous other organizations, including the Canadian Paraplegic Association, Wheelchair Sports, 1010 Sinclair Housing, and Manitoba Social Services Appeal Board.

June 28 - Bernd Laengin, 67. He was born in Germany and devoted his life's work to writing about the impact leaving Europe had on many of its people. He wrote more than 24 books in the German language about Hutterites, Amish, Mennonites and Germans from Russia. He was editor of the Courier group, which published Kanada Kurier, and later he was editor of Globus. He received the Friedrich-List-Preis des Landes Baden- Wurttemburg for special journalistic achievements in foreign countries.

July 5 - Clifford Edwards, 83. He helped change how lawyers are produced in this province. He came here in 1958 to become dean of the Manitoba Law School and turned it into a full-time Bachelor of Laws program at the University of Manitoba, creating the Faculty of Law. He was president of the Canadian Association of Law Teachers and the Manitoba Law Reform Commission. He was honoured with Queen's Counsel, Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Law, the Manitoba Bar Association's Distinguished Service Award, and made a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International. He was honoured with the Order of Canada in 2006 and the Order of Manitoba in 2007.

July 6 - Ted Siddall, 83. He delivered babies and built muscles. As a doctor, he delivered babies from Traverse Bay to Sagkeeng First Nation to Lac du Bonnet. He was also a recognized bodybuilder who held the titles of Mr. Red River Valley in 1971, Mr. Manitoba in 1972, and Senior Mr. North America most muscular in 1976.

July 7 - Barry Manning, 86. He was a lawyer who loved football. After articling as a lawyer, he joined Great-West Life Assurance and rose to become its senior vice-president and general counsel. He served as secretary and vice-president of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was also president of the Western Football Conference. He was inducted into the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hall of Fame in 2002. He also served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Health Sciences Centre Foundation, and Canadian Welfare Council.

July 12 - George Prost, 93. Beer was his specialty. He apprenticed under his father at Shea's Brewery, later going into management with Labatt's Brewery. He went on to own and manage hotels in Manitoba and British Columbia. He became president of the Manitoba Hotel Association and the Red River Exhibition.

July 13 - Ted Ferens, 74. He began as a pipefitter apprentice at CN Rail and rose to be national president of the union before crossing the table to management. He was elected president of the Canadian Association of Railroad Pipefitters in 1974. He moved to Montreal to become manager of labour relations with the railway until his retirement in 1989. He moved back to Winnipeg, bought a cottage in Whiteshell Provincial Park, and later became president of the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, where he served several terms. Shortly before his death, he was fighting the provincial government to get proposed park-pass fees waived for cottage owners.

July 15 - Sven Jensen, 85. He began at the family creamery and went on to become a major contributor in the development of the provincial and Canadian dairy industry. He started with his father at Carman Creamery, which became part of Modern Dairies. He later became president of Modern Dairies and then, after it was bought by Beatrice Foods, president of the Manitoba division. He was a director on the National Dairy Council. He later served as a councillor and then mayor of Carman.

July 17 - Brian Schwartz, 60. He was in his fifth term as reeve in the RM of Thompson.

July 19 - Tom Derhak, 68. He spent his life fighting fires and helping children with burns. He joined the Winnipeg Fire Department in 1961, retiring in 2000 as deputy chief. During his time with the fire department, he helped design its flag and developed the honour guard. As a Shriner with the Masonic Lodge, he became executive director of Khartum Temple and was on the board of directors for Koates for Kids.

Aug. 2 - John Graham, 75. Not too many Winnipeggers can say something they created was given to Pope John Paul II, Sir Edmund Hillary, Prince Philip and Dr. Jonas Salk, but he could. He was the creative services director of Great-West Life Assurance Company for several years and founded his own company, Graham Productions, which designed awards. He designed the recognition award given by the St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation to people like the Pope and Hillary.

Aug. 4 - Jimmy Ginakes, 73. He came to the city from Greece in 1950 and a few years later was making his name operating several Winnipeg operations, including The Thunderbird restaurant and the Town and Country nightclub. In the last two decades, with his son he revived the Pony Corral eatery and made it a popular chain across the city.  

Aug. 4 - Reg Ebbeling, 78. Many of Manitoba's best-known health projects are here because of his work with the province. As a pharmacist, he opened two pharmacies in the city. After joining the province, he worked as director of the Health Industry Development Initiative and helped bring in the Virology Lab, NRC Centre, St. Boniface Research Centre, Rh Institute, Cangene, Biovail and Vita Health.

Aug. 7 - Mollie-Irene Ives, 88. She worked and volunteered at various jobs and organizations, but it was her work as a real estate agent that earned her a place in Canadian history and an exhibit at the Manitoba Museum earlier this year. She became the first woman who wasn't a lawyer to successfully win her case before the Supreme Court of Canada. The provincial government had unilaterally expropriated her land to create Birds Hill Provincial Park in 1964. She drew public attention to the fact that the government could file for expropriation without telling the landowner. Her success led the way for landowners to negotiate better settlements with the provincial government.

Aug. 10 - Lee Clark, 71. He was a teacher who received his PhD in Canadian history and taught Canadian political history before being elected as a federal MP representing Brandon-Souris from 1983 to 1993. While a Tory MP, he served as parliamentary secretary to the minister of agriculture and the minister of the environment. He helped get a volunteer visitation program at the correctional institution in Brandon and helped secure a detox centre there.

Aug. 11 - Curtis Assiniboine, 44. If you have been to a powwow in Manitoba or elsewhere in the last two decades, chances are you saw him acting as emcee. He helped teach aboriginal youth their culture through dance and, as head of the Long Plains Trust, signed the historic agreement for Manitoba Hydro to sell its land and building on Madison Avenue to create a new centre for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

Aug. 20 - Stan Noval, 94. He was a welder, but his violin was his preferred instrument. He started his band, Stan Norval and his Favourite Westerners, and played across the province. He had a radio show on CKRC and released a CD. He was awarded the Ukrainian Music Association's honourable achievement award for his lifetime in music.

Aug. 21 - Albert Olsen, 85. Football and wrestling were his twin loves. He played football at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute and the University of Manitoba, and while serving in the air force during the Second World War, he played in the Grey Cup for the RCAF Blue Bombers against the Hamilton Wildcats. He wrestled his way to several Manitoba championships and in 1948 missed going to the Olympics when he lost in overtime in the final at the Canadian championships. He went on to wrestle professionally before joining the Winnipeg Fire Department.

Aug. 24 - Donne Flanagan, 43. His career in journalism led him to the backrooms of politics. He began at student newspapers, working at the University of Ottawa's Fulcrum and the University of Manitoba's Manitoban while getting a degree in communications. He became editor of the Inner City Voice in Winnipeg and was a producer at CBC Radio. He went on to become Premier Gary Doer's chief spokesman and head of the cabinet communications office. He also served as federal NDP Leader Jack Layton's chief of staff in 2003.

August - Morgan Wright. Before coming to Manitoba, he was the founding president of the Psychological Association of Saskatchewan. While teaching psychology at the U of M, he was the first president of the Manitoba Psychologica Society. He established clinical psychology courses at the university.

Sept. 1 - Greg Oswald, 53. His leg was amputated, but that didn't stop him from skiing. He was a pioneer of Paralympic sport and a world-ranked para-skier. He was one of two Canadians who participated in an exhibition of Paralympic sport during the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, and at the 1984 Paralympic Games he finished seventh in slalom and eighth in giant slalom.

Sept. 4 - Earl Lunsford, 74. He played for the Calgary Stampeders and later became general manager of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was inducted into both the Bombers and CFL halls of fame.

Sept. 4 - Rose Rudko, 83. With her husband, Paul, they owned Rudrose Construction, which built homes in River Heights and Tuxedo and shopping centres across the city. Her financial adviser cheated her out of $3.3 million, but in the past year she became known as a philanthropist after she had the money returned. Before her death, she gave $1 million to St. Boniface General Hospital to help kidney dialysis patients, and $1 million to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba -- the largest single donation in its history.

Sept. 7 - Cory Connell, 34. His life changed when he was five and his lungs were damaged when he accidentally started a fire while playing with matches. When he was 17, he was the youngest Canadian and Manitoban to receive a double-lung transplant. Winnipeg Free Press readers helped his cause by donating $80,000 to the Chance for Cory fund to pay for his living expenses in Toronto while waiting for the operation.

Sept. 7 - Earle Pollard, 84. He worked in the family firm, Pollard Banknote, but he also made numerous contributions to the community. He was a school trustee in Fort Garry, president of the University of Manitoba alumni, was on the university's senate and board of governors. He also served on the boards of the Children's Aid Society of Winnipeg, Health Sciences Centre, and Canadian Paraplegic Society. He was honoured with the University of Manitoba's Distinguished Service Award in 1982.

Sept. 9 - Partap Singh Phangureh, 86. When he came to Winnipeg in 1958, he was one of the first Sikhs in the city. While teaching in the Winnipeg School Division from 1959 to 1986, he also served his community by twice being president of the Sikh Society of Manitoba. He also helped build the Winnipeg South Sikh Centre and he was president of the Punjabi Canadian Seniors Society.

Sept 13 - Lyle Conquist, 89. He served as a pilot in the Second World War and continued to support his fellow pilots after the war. He was past president of the Association of Wartime Pilots and Observers, Winnipeg Kiwanis Club, and the Long Term Care Association of Manitoba.

Sept 21 - Les Doherty, 79. He saw the city through the lens of his camera. A photographer at the Free Press, he had some of his pictures published by Life magazine. He was president of the Winnipeg Press Club in 1957.

Sept. 25 - Edna Medd, 89. Not too many people can say they named a community, but she could. When she was 13, she won a provincewide contest to rename the town on Clear Lake in the new Riding Mountain National Park. She won $50 and the town changed from Clark's Beach to Wasagaming, Cree for clear water.

Sept. 26 - Aggie Kukulowic, 75. He grew up in the North End and briefly played in the NHL, but he's remembered for helping Soviet hockey players. He was the Russian interpreter for Team Canada's hockey squads, starting in the early 1970s with the Super Summit. He became friends with, among others, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and given the Paul Loicq Award from the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Sept. 28 - Etienne Robinson, 63. He helped negotiate and put in place the Northern Flood Agreement. He was chief of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Cross Lake. He went on to support MLA Elijah Harper's rejection of the Meech Lake Accord.

Oct. 4 - Constance Rooke, 65. She was the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Winnipeg from 1999 to 2002. She was president of PEN Canada and editor of three best-selling anthologies, including Writing Away. With her novelist husband, Leon, they founded the Eden Mills Literary Festival.

Oct. 5 - Reuben Cristall, 90. He took his father's small Main Street store and turned it into a chain. He started Stylerite Department Stores across Western Canada and Big Four Sales. He was a leader in organizing the junior division of the Young Men's Hebrew Association and became its president. He was also president of the Jewish National Fund and Men's ORT, and played leadership roles in Israel Bonds and the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. He was honoured as Man of the Year in 1987 at the JNF Negev dinner.

Oct. 6 - Henry Neustaedter. He built houses and made a child's story come to life. He was the founder of Neustaedter Construction, which built houses and commercial buildings. He was twice president of the German Society of Winnipeg, was a founder of Camp Neustadt on Lake Winnipeg, and president of the Winnipeg House Builders Association. His lasting legacy is the Witch's Hut in Kildonan Park, which he built.

Oct. 9 - Clifford Swartz, 77. Grain and flying radio-controlled planes were his loves. He joined the family firm, Northern Sales Co. Ltd., and led it to become the largest privately owned, wholly Canadian grain company. He was chairman of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange and president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association. On the side, he was one of the founding members of the Winnipeg Radio Control Club and its president for several years. He was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Model Aircraft Association of Canada.

Oct. 15 - Burton (B.A.) Robinson, 100. His name is still in lights outside the electrical stores he started. He started his own lighting manufacturing agency in 1936 and incorporated B.A. Robinson Co. Ltd. in 1947. After retiring from the business in 1985, he served on several boards, including Manitoba Centennial Corporation, Society for Crippled Children, Grace Hospital and the Winnipeg Football Club. He was a founding member of Camp Manitou while on the board of the Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg.

Oct. 18 - Marjorie Johnston. While a teenager, she taught people how to dance at the World's Fair in New York in the 1930s. Returning to Winnipeg, she later became the commissioner of the Girl Guides and president of the Junior League of Winnipeg. She was on the board and was president of the Manitoba Theatre Centre during fundraising to build the current theatre building as a centennial project. She was honoured with the Order of Canada in 1979, the Queen's Jubilee Medal, and the Canada 125 medal.

Oct. 25 - John Neufeld, 95. He brought the word of God to Mennonites around the world. He joined Gospel Light Hour in 1959 and broadcast Low German messages on CFAM for 28 years and 5,000 programs. He translated the New Testament into Low German, allowing Mennonites for the first time in hundreds of years to read the Bible in their own everyday language.

Oct. 27 - Stewart Thomson, 78. He created buildings for the province and music for his church and the public. As an architect with the provincial government, he converted the Winnipeg Auditorium into the Provincial Archives, built the Manitoba Youth Centre, and restored and converted the A.A. Heeps Building at Portage Avenue and Garry Street into government offices. He was organist and choirmaster at St. George's Anglican Church in Crescentwood, conducting the last men and boys choir in Western Canada. He was chorusmaster of the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir and Manitoba Youth Choir.

Oct. 29 - Blair MacLean, 65. He was the elder half of the Juno-nominated musical comedy duo MacLean and Mac- Lean. They produced seven albums and performed as many as 150 shows a year across the country during their more than 30-year career. His brother, Gary, died in 2001.

Nov. 1 - Betty Green-Armytage, 87. She helped the arts find a home in Winnipeg. She was on the boards of the Winnipeg Children's Theatre, which became the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Women's Musical Club. She helped research concert venues across North America during the planning of the Centennial Concert Hall, and also helped create the Manitoba PC Women's caucus. She was awarded an honorary life membership in the Salvation Army and earned a volunteer service award from the City of Winnipeg.

Nov. 12 - Lori Fergusson. She joined Air Canada in Winnipeg and helped specialneeds children meet Mickey Mouse. She went to Elmwood High School and was hired by the airline in 1987. Four years later, she created Dreams Take Flight, the charity where employees donate their time and the company donates jets to take special-needs children and other mentally and socially challenged children to Disney World and Disneyland.

Nov. 13 - Pat Riordan, 69. He began his career singing, but became better known for his jokes. He sang with The Balladeers in the 1950s before getting a 13-year gig at the Viscount Gort Hotel as a comedian. He was also involved in the community, helping special-needs children as the chief barker of Variety Club, and was on the board of Big Brothers of Winnipeg. He also served as president of the Winnipeg Press Club and commodore of the Royal Manitoba Yacht Club.

Nov. 17 - Debby, 42. She was born in the Russian Arctic in 1966 and came to the city's Assiniboine Park Zoo the next year. The polar bear raised six cubs here and entertained numerous families until her passing.

Nov. 22 - Harold Loster, 81. His day job was beer, but horses and the track were his passions. He worked at Drewrys, Shea's, Pellisers, Kiewels and Labatt's before retiring. He spent 31 years working as a handicapper and columnist for the Winnipeg Tribune and later the Winnipeg Sun. He also wrote a bowling column. He was inducted into the Manitoba Bowling Hall of Fame and the Media Roll of Honour for sports journalism by the Manitoba Speed Skating Association.

Nov. 23 - Barbara Featherstone, 58. She was a nurse who served with the U.S. army and then with the medical staff of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She came to Canada to nurse and later joined the Misericordia Health Centre, where she single-handedly created the idea of Health Links, the first telephone triage service in Canada. For this, she was nominated for a YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction Award. N

ov. 25 - Charles Bigelow, 80. He was a scientist who melded environmental science with his politics. He graduated with a PhD in physical chemistry at McMaster University and later taught at universities, culminating as dean of science at the University of Manitoba from 1979 to 1989. He was later provost of University College. He was president of the NDP from 1982 to 1984, and early on identified global warming as a problem, and the hole in the atmosphere's ozone layer.

Dec. 6 - Graham Dixon, 77. He spent a decade with the military, working as aide de camp to French ambassador Georges Vanier, and serving in the Korean War and postwar Germany. Leaving the military, he got his commerce degree and later became senior policy adviser to thenmanpower and transportation minister Lloyd Axworthy. He was regional director of the Canadian Bankers' Association for a decade. He worked on the Core Area Initiative and chaired both the Mid-Continent International Trade Corridor and the Churchill Task Force as well as serving on numerous boards. He was president of the Jewish National Fund.

Dec. 9 - Brenda Leipsic, Helping the community and politics were her loves. She created her own consulting firm, Leipsic Communications. She worked with charities to develop the St. Boniface Research Foundation's dream-home lottery and the Children's Hospital Foundation's Teddy Bear Picnic. She co-chaired the campaign that led to the construction of the new Winnipeg Humane Society building. She was president of the provincial Progressive Conservative party, elected as a city councillor in 2006 and soon thereafter appointed deputy mayor.

Dec. 11 - Lionel Orlikow, 76. He was a teacher, coach and senior public servant for the province. While deputy minister of education, he helped develop the province's first adult education centres. He was also a school trustee in the Winnipeg School Division.

Dec. 11 - Eira Friesen, 91. A university graduate who became a stay-at-home mother, she quickly realized mothers and their children needed to get together with others. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a bachelor of science and was Lady Stick. Later, after she married and had four children, she founded the Y-Neighbours program, which got stay-at-home moms and their pre-school children together with others. As well, she was instrumental in establishing at the YWCA the Women's Resource Centre -- the first in Western Canada -- which helps women with information, support and guidance. She was given numerous honours, including the Queen's Jubilee Award, the Premier's Volunteer Service Award, the YMCA-YWCA Woman of Distinction, and the 50th anniversary United Nations Global Citizen Award. She was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2003.

Dec. 17 - Ted Leczynski, 88. Born in Poland and taken as a prisoner during the Second World War, he came to Winnipeg and became very prominent in the local Polish community. He was president of the Polish-Canadian Congress, vicepresident of the Polish Combatants Association, Branch 13, chief editor of the Polish newspaper Czas, and director of the Polish radio program on CKYJ and television program Polonika.

Dec. 18 - Henry Duckworth, 93. He studied at both Winnipeg universities and later was an executive at both. With a doctorate in physics, he became one of the country's foremost scientists, served as president of the Royal Society of Canada, and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. He joined the University of Manitoba in 1965 as vice-president development and then academic before becoming the Universi

ty of Winnipeg's second president in 1971. After retiring, he was elected chancellor of the University of Manitoba in 1986 until 1992. Dec. 19 - Keith Campbell, 80. He worked for the telephone company, but hockey was in his blood. He worked for MTS from 1947 to 1985. He played with hockey teams in Portage la Prairie and Poplar Point and later with the Manitoba NHL Oldtimers. He was vice-president of the Manitoba Hockey Players Foundation and executive vice-president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association. He was also president of the Manitoba Tennis Patrons Association.

Dec. 30 - Jim Foubister, 84. He breathed football for the majority of his life. He played, coached or officiated football for more than 60 years, playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for five seasons from 1942 to 1949, working as a CFL official, and as a founding member of the Manitoba Football Officials Association. He was inducted into the Winnipeg High School Football League Hall of Fame in 2008.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 4, 2009 A1