MAY MINUK (SMITH)

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MAY MINUK
(nee SMITH)

Sadly, May passed away at Simkin Centre August 3, 2019, at the age of 92.
Marguarite May Smith was born in the family home in Winnipeg's West Broadway neighbourhood on May 1, 1927. May was the fourth of six children of Walter and Rebecca Smith.
May's father Walter Smith migrated from Birmingham, England to Winnipeg in 1900 at the age of 20, working as a hardware clerk for J. H. Ashdown and Marshall-Wells. May's mother, Rebecca Murphy married Robert Pollitt in Liverpool, England in 1912. May's mother was widowed with three young children at the age of 27 when her first husband was killed at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. May's father met her mother while stationed overseas and the two were married in Liverpool in 1919. Upon being discharged, Walter Smith returned to Winnipeg followed by his 29-year-old bride and new family.
May attended the following schools in Winnipeg's West End: Principal Sparling, General Wolfe and Daniel McIntyre. As her parents were English, the family attended St. Jude's Anglican Church. Weekends were spent at the family cottage near Lockport.
May was employed as a stenographer at the law firm of L D. Morosnick, where she met the love of her life, Sam Minuk who was articling at the firm. During their courtship, May worked as a stenographer for the Canadian Pacific Railway while Sam practised law in the firm of Mitchell Green and Minuk. Following Sam's appointment as a Provincial Court Judge in 1972, he commuted from Brandon to Winnipeg on weekends to see May. After their engagement, May undertook studies to convert to Judaism prior to her marriage to Sam in August 1976.
May was her mother's favourite and she was a devoted daughter. May and her mother often shopped together at Eaton's downtown, dining in the Grill Room. May and Sam took her mother to the Salisbury House for breakfast on weekends.
May and Sam were married for 39 years. Having married late in life, the Minuks had no children, however, May shared a special bond with Jason and Jared Merrick (great-nephews). May dedicated the second part of her life to taking care of Sam. The Minuks celebrated their 30 wedding anniversary with friends and family in 2006. Sadly, Sam passed away August 14, 2015, at the age of 88 and May never really recovered from the loss. May remained in their suite at Amber Meadows until 2018 when she entered the Simkin Centre. May and her younger sister Doris were the last surviving Smith family members of their generation.
The family is grateful to Sergia Carvalho who served as May's caregiver and devoted friend for the past four years, to her nephew Gary Minuk for tending to May's administrative needs and to her nephew Randy Van Vleet for assisting May after the passing of Sam.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 07, 2019