SIMA KAY

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SIMA KAY ".......Who ran to help me when I fell, And would some pretty story tell, Or kiss the place to make it well? My Mother......". ---quote by Ann Taylor Sima Kay passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. Her joy in life, buoyant personality, wonderful sense of humour, true and enduring compassion for her friends and family, and her strong will to live a full life will always be remembered. It is the legacy she leaves to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was born on November 26, 1919 in Winnipeg. She wed her high school sweetheart, Harvey Kay in 1942 and they remained deeply loving partners for over 70 years. She loved to do so many things in life with Harvey (fish, golf, travel to exotic places, endless games of very competitive gin rummy) and that included being dance partners. When she and Harvey were on the dance floor they truly tripped the light fantastic. They knew how to have fun and it showed. Sima was the youngest of five that included her sister Hattie and her brothers Eli, Harold and Irv. Her parents were Anna and David Rosenbaum. Her children are Neil (Micki), Ian and Robin. Her grandchildren are David (Lauren), Jacqueline (Donny), Joseph (Lori), Aaron (Grainne), Jacob, Brooklyn and Zoe; and her great-grandchildren are Annie, Stella, Conor, Eamon, Brady, Reagan, Samson, Raquel and James. Sima lived her life, indeed every day, with true meaning as she fulfilled her various roles as wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. As well, she was a mentor, advisor and an unselfish caregiver to both family and dear friends. She loved music, to paint in watercolours and oils, she was an avid reader and knew how to entertain in her home. She went about her daily activities with modesty, grace and joy. Her path in life was to strive for a balance and an equilibrium that made her and in particular her family's life at home a resource for all. In this world it is hard to find someone who can show us how to live with tenderness and inner strength, whose outward beauty reflects their inner grace and loveliness, and whose astuteness provides insight into the vagaries of life and the ways of the world. This was the case for Sima Kay. It is even rarer, perhaps, to meet someone whose ideals and emotions in life are enacted in the reality of day to day living. Sima's actions confirmed the poet's ideal; to be one whose deeds and speech reflect "what oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed!". Contributions in her memory may be made to the Harvey and Sima Scholarship Fund at the Gray Academy in the Asper Centre.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 01, 2015