HOWIE BLATT

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HOWIE BLATT

It is with heavy hearts we announce the peaceful passing of Howie Blatt, with his loving family at his side, on October 10, 2024, at St. Boniface Hospital, after a very brief lymphoma cancer.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Cathy Dearden, his sons, David (Seri) Blatt and Josh (Karlee Rosenberg) Blatt, and granddaughters, Hannah and Maya Blatt.

He is remembered with love by his brother, Arnie (Sura-Fraida) Blatt in Minnetonka. He is also remembered by brother-in-law Craig Dearden (Cathy Boase) in Fairmont Hot Springs. Several nieces and nephews have fond memories of dear “Uncle Howie”. He was predeceased by his parents, Philip and Anne Blatt; his sister, Sandy Goldstein; his first wife, Faye Blatt; in-laws, Ted and Estelle Saunders, and Ed and Lois Dearden.

Howie was born February 25, 1944 and grew up in the north end of Winnipeg. He spent summers at Winnipeg Beach, and enjoyed tennis, fishing and boating. As a teenager, he started going fishing at Lake of the Woods, where his father was born and raised. Shortly after getting his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Winnipeg, he married his first wife, Faye Saunders. In 1969, they welcomed their son, David, and one month later, Faye passed away.

Howie was an exceptional father, raising David on his own. They went to Jets games, the lake, and whether they stayed in a tent, a trailer, a cabin, or eventually on their sailboat, OVERDRAFT, they had a wonderful, fun-filled time.

In 1981 he married Cathy Dearden, and in 1984, their son, Josh, was born. The family of four continued their busy life with the boys playing hockey and golf, going to Jets games, summers at Fantasy Island, travel, ski trips, and so on.

Howie had a successful career at Great-West Life as a life insurance and investment advisor. He and his family attended numerous sales conventions. He made it a priority to balance his professional life with quality family time.

He dabbled in a few restaurants and was always a “foodie”. He loved helping his friends find the best places to eat their favourite foods. He was always available to lend a helping hand or offer advice on various topics. His friends and their kids loved him.

He played squash and was a member of the Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club for many years, serving as president in 1995-1996.

Family was EVERYTHING to Howie. He always had time for family dinners, sharing recipes, TRADITIONS, and celebrating all special holidays. Extended family gatherings with “Mishpacha” were very important to him.

Howie was so proud of his sons. He was thrilled when David married Seri, and he soon became a grandfather to Hannah and Maya. He loved spending time with “his girls”, especially at the lake.

He had a wonderful time introducing Karlee to lake life traditions when she came into Josh’s life. And he knew which wedding dress she picked!

Two places dear to his heart were Fantasy Island at Lake of the Woods and Windstar in Naples, Florida. Barbecues, boating and fishing in the summer; cycling, pickleball, boating and eating oysters and key lime pie in the winter.

Howie has left a huge hole in our hearts, but he has left us with so many good memories and “Howie-isms”, such as “The faintest ink is better than the best memory”, “Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda”, “Health, Happiness, and Cashflow” and many more. He taught us to laugh, to do what is right, and always stay positive. He had a heart of gold.

The family acknowledges the professional team at St. Boniface Hospital, 4th floor and the ICU, and especially the hematology team.

Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Grant Goldberg, Dr. Richard Blouw, and the entire team at Access Fort Garry for their compassionate and professional care over many years.

Howie’s funeral was held October 15 and can be viewed on the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue website, www.szwinnipeg.ca

Donations may be made in Howie’s memory to the Canadian Cancer Society, www.cancer.ca, designating your donation to non-Hodgkin lymphoma research, or should you prefer, the Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation, www.lwdhf.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 09, 2024, Nov 09, 2024