BENJAMIN (BEN) CHOCHINOV

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BENJAMIN (BEN) CHOCHINOV Peacefully, with his family by his side, Ben passed away on September 17, 2015, at the age of 91. Loving husband, father and zaida, neighbourhood pharmacist and confidante, mentor to countless friends, relatives and customers, paragon of active living until his late 80s, he was an icon in the village that was Winnipeg's North End. Ben was predeceased by his father Alex and mother Rose; brothers Jack and Moishe; sisters-in-law Mary, Loretta and Eleanor Chochinov and Naomi Wolfe, and brother-in-law Jack Wolfe. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sherry; children, Alecs (Ruth Graham), Cindy (Chuck Guberman), Lori (Andy Rafelman), Shale (Sary Chochinov) and Michelle (Morry Murad); grandchildren Noah, Ethan and Leah Chochinov, Janna, Michael and Matthew Guberman, Adam and Maya Rafelman, Sydney and Annie Chochinov and Eden and Jonah Murad; brothers Harvey and Dave; sisters-in-law Shelley Chochinov and Eddy Werier, and brothers-in-law Lawrence Werier and Jack Rubinfield. Dad loved to kibitz around in public, he was warm and funny, but could be sharp and caustic, all at the same time. It was a potent mixture, which could sting, but was laced with insight and honesty, and proved irresistible to many. He grew up in a raucous house, the second of five sons. The boys loved each other's company, there was a child-like quality in them, a playfulness that Dad retained all his life. Ben went to St. John's High School, where he excelled at athletics, a pursuit he would rediscover with a passion in later life. He then attended the University of Manitoba and obtained his B.Sc. (Pharm) in 1949. Ben met Sherry when they both were still teens. They had a very traditional marriage, he was the breadwinner and Sherry would spend just a little more than he earned each week, all on the kids, then the grandkids, almost never on themselves. Ben had no need to escape his life, visit exotic locales, or search for a holy grail, he found or created everything he needed right here in Winnipeg. Their marriage lasted 67 years, but he was also married to his work, and that marriage lasted 62. He started on Broadway and Sherbrook, spent the last 18 years at Safeway Pharmacy, and all the rest at Seven Oaks Pharmacy, his drugstore, THE drugstore, in the epicenter of the Jewish north end, 360 days a year for over 40 years. The drugstore was a focal point in the lives of an entire community of people, who depended on it not only for drugs, but for the sustenance of everyday life, from comic books to cuff-links to condoms. But mostly, they came for Ben's personality, which he doled out with an inimitable mixture of warmth, sharp wit and wry humor, depending on the day, the issue and the victim. People flocked to the drugstore to see Benny and, often as not, would walk out with nothing but a prescription for someone else, or one of his kids, with instructions to deliver it, or them, clear across town. At the back of the store, by the dispensary, was the consultation area, the inner sanctum. People would come there to ask for a second opinion about a medical issue, to seek advice about a personal problem or just to chat. In his 50s, after years of working 80-hour weeks and a cardiac false alarm, Ben decided to reclaim his health. Before long, Ben had developed his own exercise routine and began to attract a group around him, much as he did at the drugstore. Until his late 80s, Ben's group would gather together in a circle in their corner of the Rady Centre, dumbbells in hand, chanting their reps in unison, often breaking into song, sometimes moaning or shouting, but with joyous abandon, like schoolboys at recess. They seemed transported by their routine to another place, decades ago, when they were young and carefree. After class, Dad always seemed to have someone on the table, giving them a massage or otherwise tending to their aches and pains. Only in his final year at the Rady, it was Dave leading the classes and tending to Dad on the table afterwards, as his strength finally succumbed to age. Over the past two years, Ben was looked after by a wonderful cadre of caregivers, who helped mom keep him comfortable at home. We would like to make special mention of Lisa and Cresilda, who became like family to Dad. But then, so did everyone who came into his orbit. Memorial donations may be made to the Rady Centre in Ben's name, or to a charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 24, 2015