MORLEY FENSON

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MORLEY FENSON Morley Fenson passed away November 20, 2013 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with services held at Chesed Shel Emes and burial at Rosh Pina Memorial Park in Winnipeg. Pallbearers were nephews Eitan and Mark Fenson, Evan and Ron Elkin, Randy and Robert Kligerman. Morley was born in Borsczow, Poland (now Ukraine) on March 21, 1922. He emigrated to Winnipeg in 1926 with his mother Molly and older brother Leo, reuniting with his father Jack who had preceded them two years earlier. Upon their arrival, they found that the original family name Feuerstein had been changed to Fenson. The family became complete with the birth of younger brother Harry two years after their landing in Canada. Morley grew up in Winnipeg's north end and remembered spending many cold, winter nights on his bicycle delivering meat for his father's kosher butcher store. The period was filled with memories of the Eagles, a club for Jewish youth, where he made friendships that would last a lifetime. Throughout all his travels later in life, Morley remained in contact with these friends, who he always referred to as his "Band of Brothers". With the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy and would serve for five years on three different ships whose primary role was to protect supply convoys headed to Europe. He would love telling stories of his adventures as the wireless operator on HMCS Dauphin and was most proud of his Chief Petty Officer designation aboard HMCS Buckingham. It was on one of his leaves in 1944 that he returned to Winnipeg and met the love of his life, Shiffra Kligerman. They married December 22, 1946, a marriage that spanned 67 years. After the war, Morley received training as a production industrial engineer and began a business career in Winnipeg's garment industry. A man who was bold in doing things to try and improve himself, Morley and family moved to Tupelo, MS, back to Winnipeg, to San Diego, CA, to St. Louis and then back to Winnipeg in 1966. It was then he became a partner in clothing manufacturer Monarch Wear in charge of production and later the same in Panther Pant. Always one to try and keep pace with the changing areas of manufacturing, his work took him to factories in Brazil, Asia and numerous parts of Canada. After retiring from the garment industry in 1980, Morley began a venture importing goods from the People's Republic of China. He and Shiffie retired to Palm Springs in 1985 where they spent many happy years enjoying their friends and entertaining their growing number of grandchildren. They moved to Chapel Hill, NC in 2001 to be closer to children. Morley was exceptionally loving and loyal to his family and friends. He would go to great lengths to ensure his children knew their uncles, aunts, cousins and close friends, and insist on travel to anywhere there was a family celebration. Nothing would make him happier than seeing all his family and friends together at a celebratory occasion. Never shy to discuss or predict events, a signature photo of him would be one at a family celebration engaged in a discussion of current events, a casual glass of scotch in hand. Morley is predeceased by his mother Molly, father Jack; brother Leo and sister-in-law Shirley Fenson, brother Harry and sister-in-law Leah Fenson; sister-in-law Anita Fenson; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Lou and Eva Elkin, and Bill and Selma Kligerman. A man who lived a full and event-filled life, he is very much missed by wife Shiffie, daughters Carla (David) Fenson-Bronstein and Ronna, son Ken (Susan), his seven grandchildren: Mira, Shana, Ben, Sarah, Joel, Danielle and Jacqueline, great-grandchildren: Morgan, Preston and Taliah, and his many nieces, nephews and cousins.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 11, 2014