WINIFRED NEWMAN

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WINIFRED NEWMAN (neé POTTER) It is with sadness, and yet hope in the life to come, that we mourn the death, March 30, 2008, of Winifred Newman, formerly of Winnipeg, beloved wife of Dr. Michael Newman, currently of Montreal. Funeral Mass has taken place Wednesday, April 2, in Montreal. Mum leaves five children and 14 grandchildren: Fr. Joe Newman, SJ currently in Midland, Ontario; Dr. Nicholas Newman (Odile - Béatrice, Raphaël, Gabriel, Benedict) of Montreal; Dr. Francis Newman (Dr. Barb Goldman - Peter, Alyse, Eileen) of Winnipeg; Marie-Claire Marti (Enriquillo - Cécilia) of Montreal; Christine Dacquay (Guy - Luc, Hélène, Stéphane, Louis, Mathieu, Jean-François) of Ottawa. She had four older brothers (Cecil, Basil, Arnold, Ronald) and an older half-brother (Norman) who all predeceased her. Mrs. Newman was born in 1924 in Bedford, England. Raised during wartime, she learned to thole: to cope with and to bear hardship with dignity and honour. Her faith in God and the promise of an everlasting resurrection helped her through many a trial. Her love for Michael, her devoted husband of nearly 55 years, lasted with her through her last breath, and will undoubtedly nurture and sustain him in the years to come. After a wartime career as an auxiliary in the Free French Air Force, Winnie studied Arts at the Sorbonne, Paris, during her 20s, finally earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1980. She proudly graduated in the same class as her daughter, Marie-Claire. Her studies were interrupted by her chosen career of raising her five children. Despite many family commitments, she dedicated much of her free time to various volunteer causes in the Church and in the community. She also spent many hours caring for Michael's aging mother, and volunteering with young children. It was always Mum's wish, while living in Winnipeg, to move to Montreal. After Michael's retirement in 1992, they moved to Hudson, Quebec, a bedroom suburb of Montreal. Her last weeks were spent at the Montreal Geriatric Institute, where she was cared for with the respect, love, and attention that one imagines but rarely sees. Michael and all of us cannot express adequately how grateful we are to the staff who truly treated Mrs. Newman as a loved one. Even in the final hours of her life, we were relieved to know that all of her needs were met. Although Mrs. Newman loved the smell and the beauty of flowers, she would rather be remembered with a prayer, a thought, or a kind deed. Donations to the Montreal Geriatric University Institute, 4565 Queen Mary Road, Montreal, QC, Canada H3W 1W5 could also be considered. Requiescat in Pace

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 05, 2008