GLADYS LOVE

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GLADYS LOVE October 6, 1918 - July 15, 2015 The family of Gladys (Gnessie) Love is mourning her sudden passing at Seven Oaks Hospital. Gladys is survived by her daughter, Sharon; son, Myron (Symma) and grandchildren, Samuel, Avra and Elena. She was predeceased by her husband, Abe, in 1977, parents, Sam and Olia Pearlman, younger sister and brother-in-law, Luba and Lou Glassman, a brother who died in infancy, and sister-in-law, Edith Love. Gladys was born into a large and close-knit family in the old North End. She grew up surrounded by family and friends. Her parents home at 470 Pritchard Avenue, was open to all and she had many fond memories of the relatives and boarders who stayed there in the 1930s and 1940s and the many people who regularly dropped in. Gladys attended the I.L. Peretz Folk School where she made many lifelong friends, Aberdeen and St. John's Tech. After a year at the University of Manitoba, she moved to Calgary to be a kindergarten teacher at the Peretz School. While in Calgary, she lived with her aunt and uncle, Rowena and Ben Pearlman and developed a close relationship with their children, Marsha and Ronnie. During the war years, she worked for the government. After the war, while working in the office at the Soo Line Mills, she met and fell in love with Abe Love, who spotted her while visiting his uncle, Sam Kanee, who was president of the company. After a whirlwind courtship, they married in 1948 and moved to Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, where the Love family operated a flour mill. The next year, the family moved to Shoal Lake, Manitoba, where they bought a general store. In 1956, the family moved back to Winnipeg and 470 Pritchard Avenue. Over the years, while Abe operated different retail stores, Gladys worked at Misha Pollock's and for Johnny Pollock at Clifford's, both on Selkirk Avenue. Our mother always had a sense of style. Appearance and attractive dress were always important to her. After our father passed away at the relatively young age of 62, our mother reinvented herself. She learned to drive and took up bridge. She spent happy times at the Stay Young Club at the YMHA and, later, the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre. She enjoyed the Saturday movie nights organized by Sophie Shinewald at the Rosh Pina Co-op. Yiddishkeit was very important to Gladys and she enjoyed singing and music. She was a long-time member of the Jewish Women's Musical Club. She was a founding member of and frequent soloist for the Stay Young Choir and Winnipeg Yiddish choir. She never missed a Yiddish concert or program or the Jewish Radio Hour Sundays at 1:30. Most of all, our mother was a "people person". She kept in touch with numerous friends and relatives everywhere. She took a great interest in others and the world around her. Her later years were burdened by a growing loss of vision. Nonetheless, her mind and memory were sharp right up until a few days before her passing and her daughter, Sharon's devotion and caring over the years allowed Gladys to be able to live at home and remain active socially. Many thanks to Dr. Greg Hammond, Dr. David Manusow, Dr. Jaroslav Drexler and Dr. John Rabson and the WRHA homecare program co-ordinators, Olga and Brigitte. We greatly appreciated the exceptional care provided for Gladys by Mary, Lourdes and Francita during her last few days at home. Gladys' funeral took place on Friday, July 17, 2015 at noon at the Chesed Shel Emes, with burial at the Hebrew Sick Cemetery. Thank you to Cantor Tracy Kasner Greaves for leading the service. Pallbearers were her grandson, Samuel Love, cousins Bailey and Ian Rayter, Marshall Love and Charlie Tax and friend Lanny Silver. If desired, contributions may be made to the CNIB library or a charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 08, 2015