FREDA LEIBL -

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FREDA LEIBL 1918 - 2006 Sadly, on March 26, 2006, Freda Leibl passed away peacefully with her family by her side. Freda meant something different to everyone who knew her. To some, Freda was the energetic business woman. To others, she was the quintessential Yiddish Mama and Baba - unconditionally loving, fiercely protective and constantly concerned about the happiness and well being of her family. As a Baba, Freda had a special relationship with each one of her seven grandchildren and great-grandchild. A petite, strawberry blonde, Freda was blessed to be able to hold on to her good looks all of her life. Others will recall Freda's beautiful voice, her great passion for music, how she sang soprano for years in the Shaarey Zedek choir and how she proudly conducted the Golden Age Club Choir at City Hall for the Winnipeg Centennial. Freda was a real character - feisty, colourful and very strong willed. She lived independently, practically to the end of her life. She could be very charming and possessed a mirthful, ironic sense of humor. She was a small person, who drove big cars and had a big personality. Freda was fearless in her convictions and more often than not, her intuitions about things proved to be correct, and often, far ahead of her time. Long before the health food revolution, Freda used to say, You are what you eat. Even though her formal education was limited, Freda believed that knowledge is power. Freda married Lou when she was just 17, and stayed married to him for some 40 years. After their divorce, Freda found a way to remain open to life and its possibilities and was rewarded with a new romantic relationship. This window of fulfillment was closed, all too suddenly, when her partner passed away only two years after they met. In some ways, Freda's later years were her best. Just as the sun setting in the west makes for scenes of uncommon beauty, so it was for Freda. In her sunset years, she mellowed and allowed her inner beauty to shine out and complement the outer beauty that had always been. Midwinter, Freda fell and broke her hip. Her spirit however, remained unbroken. While they waited for the surgery, Freda and her family sat in the Grace Hospital and sang every song that they could think of. However, unbeknownst to anyone, it turned out that Freda was singing her farewell to the world. Freda's spirit was willing to go on, but her flesh dictated that her time had come. The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful care and devotion of Freda's companions, Lolita and Flerida, who did so much to make it possible for Freda to live as long and as well as she did.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 21, 2006