EDWARD SAUL SOKOLOFF (ED)

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EDWARD SAUL SOKOLOFF

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Edward Sokoloff on Friday, October 18, 2019 at the age of 64 years.
Ed was predeceased by his parents, Gladys and Benjamin. He is survived by his wife Sandra, brother Laurence, sister Iris and her husband Douglas, nephews, Eli and Micah, and sister-in-law Sheri.
Ed was born in Urbana, Illinois and his family lived in a number of university towns in the US midwest. When Ed was 11, his father accepted a position at the U of M and the family moved to Winnipeg.
After high school, Ed pursued a career in education but eventually decided to enter the faculty of Social Work. He graduated with a BSW degree in 1982. He met his wife Sandra at school and the two married in 1983. Ed provided resources and supports to families coping with Alzheimer's for a brief period of time. He then started working as a correctional officer at Stony Mountain Institution and ended his career at Rockwood Institution. Ed took an early retirement, stating that 26 years in jail was enough time to serve. He always had colourful stories to share about his time in corrections.
Ed enjoyed retirement, noting that the hours were good, but missed the daily interactions with his co-workers. He enjoyed attending monthly lunches with other retirees and maintained friendships with many of his colleagues. After he retired, Ed began to take guitar lessons but felt his progress was slow. He did, however, reach the stage where it was possible to identify which piece of music he was playing. Ed was an avid reader and liked a wide range of subjects. He was interested in politics and regularly watched TV news shows. New York City was a favourite travel destination. Ed and Sandra went there for their honeymoon and returned many times afterwards. Their last visit was in 2016 and Ed was glad they had the opportunity to visit with some of his family members. He had hoped to travel more extensively but health issues made it difficult to make plans. Ed did travel to Toronto regularly to visit with his sister and her family and looking forward to spending time with his nephews. He was very proud of them and enjoyed hearing about their experiences and accomplishments. Ed also appreciated his brother Laurence's regular phone calls.
Ed was a caring, supportive husband, brother and friend and was always interested in people's lives. One of Ed's most memorable qualities was his sense of humour and quick wit. He enjoyed telling jokes and making quips and did so at doctor's appointments, during tests and even at times, from a hospital bed.
Ed was first diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and had countless tests and procedures and numerous surgeries. He handled his increasingly complex health issues with grace and his trademark sense of humour. He liked to count the number of different specialists he saw and always joked he was getting his money's worth from the health care system.
We would like to thank all of the many health care providers who were involved in Ed's life and who treated him with respect and compassion. We would also like to thank family members, friends and neighbours for all their good wishes, concerns and offers of assistance, Iris for her constant support and Ed really appreciated all the visits from friends in the last two weeks.
A celebration of Ed's life is being planned and details will be announced later.

Condolences may be sent to www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 26, 2019