SOPHIE ELFENBEIN

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SOPHIE ELFENBEIN Mom passed away on January 12, 2006 at the Seven Oaks Hospital at the age of 86. She will be lovingly remembered by her children Allan (Rennie) Elfenbein, Mickey (Barbara) Elfenbein, Celia (Marty) Halparin; grandchildren, Robyn and Jay, Mark and Kathi, Keith and Morrie, Stephanie, Nathan and Ariana; great-grandchildren, Briya and Talia. She is also survived by brothers George Keives, Phil and Ellie Kives, Ted and Loretta Kives, as well as sisters-in-law Mary Luffman and Leona Freedman, numerous nieces and nephews. Mom was predeceased by her husband Archie, sister-in-law Anita Keives and brothers-in-law, Morris Freedman and Ben Luffman. Born on November 21, 1919 in Turkey, Mom was the eldest of four children. In 1926 she immigrated to Canada along with her parents and younger brother. They settled in Saskatchewan in mid-winter and began a life of farming. Mom married our father in February 1941. After their marriage they continued to farm. All three of their children were born and raised on the farm. In 1961 the family moved to Winnipeg and a new life began. Our parents owned and operated a grocery store until the early 70s when Mom went to work at Eaton's. She soon became a supervisor in the cosmetics department taking care of everything and everyone. She loved this work as it gave her an outlet for her nurturing and exuberant nature. Mom worked hard all her life, always thinking about her children and what they needed. She took great pride in the success of her family, her children and grandchildren. This past fall she had the joy of welcoming Talia as a great-granddaughter to the family, and saw the birth of her first great-grandchild Briya. Her greatest pleasures next to her family was to be of help or comfort to her friends and those in need. Our mother was a beautiful woman always immaculately groomed with a smile on her face in spite of the constant pain that she endured. She tried very hard not to let her various medical conditions interfere with her joy and zest for life. She always had a warm greeting for everyone and an indomitable spirit that would never quit. Mom loved to tell jokes but never quite got to the punch lines because she would laugh so hard she couldn't continue. Services were at Congregation Etz Chayim and interment took place at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. Pallbearers were her grandsons, Mark, Keith and Nathan, son-in-law Marty, nephew Rick Keives and Issie Frost. The family would like to thank Dr. Dyck and his staff at the Seven Oaks Medical Center for their kindness and understanding as well as the home care staff who looked after Mom over the many years.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 20, 2006