Ahead of her time

Devoting her life to nurturing her family, Hester Kroft fostered ideals of respectful relationships, open communication, opportunities to thrive, and unconditional love, not only with her husband and children, but also through her community connections and everyday interactions with others.

“She believed siblings should not only love one another but genuinely like one another and always have each other’s backs,” said daughter Debbie Hoffman, the second of Hester’s four children.

Hester Kroft and her husband Guy on their wedding day in 1956. (Supplied)

Born in Winnipeg in 1934, Hester met Guy Kroft, her childhood sweetheart, while attending the same grade in primary school, and growing up blocks apart from each other. They both attended Kelvin High School before moving on to the University of Manitoba. They married in 1956 and together had two sons and two daughters, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

An accomplished educator and top achiever in her faculty, Hester taught junior high school English and had a profoundly inspiring effect on her students.

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A force of nature

“She was fiercely authentic and deeply generous, and she brought an uncompromising spirit to everything she touched. Her art was a reflection of her soul: poignant, powerful, grounded in heritage, and relentlessly innovative.”

Scott Billeck:

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One of our champions

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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press:

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A true restaurant icon

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Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press:

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Steven Sloan, The Associated Press:

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How They Lived

Read the stories of the lives of great Winnipeggers and Manitobans on our Passages website.

Until next week, may you continue to write your own life’s story.

Sunday Passages