EVELYN BLANKSTEIN

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EVELYN BLANKSTEIN In her 88th year passed away peacefully on May 13, 2001 at St. Boniface Hospital. Auntie Evelyn was born in Winnipeg, March 5, 1913, the daughter of Lena and Max Blankstein. She grew up with her brothers and sisters on Dufferin and then Machray Avenue in the house designed and built by her father, architect Max Z. Blankstein. She attended Aberdeen, Machray and then St. Johns Tech and then went on to the University of Manitoba to study Architecture. Whether she knew it or not, she was a leader who pioneered, lived and proved the concept of gender equality. During her life, Auntie Evelyn was a ultimate athlete, participating in team sports such as volleyball, tennis, basketball and track and field while at high school and university - where she was Woman Athlete of the Year. She also excelled on the golf links at Glendale Golf Club where she was the first of a few women golfers with a full membership enabling her to golf with the men. She worked as an Architect -- when there were few if any women in a profession that was considered a male preserve -- for close to 40 years, first in her brother Cecils office and then for Hobbs Glass (later Canadian Pittsburgh Industries) where she designed and facilitated the use of architectural glass for stores, movie theatres, offices and factories designed in the architectural offices of Winnipeg. Auntie Evelyn was the recent matriarch of our family. To her, her 17 nieces and nephews, her 32 great-nieces and nephews and her 15 great-great-nieces and nephews - all were the centre of her world. We were all her children. She travelled extensively to be with us for every Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah and Wedding, She was always there to greet us and was the last to leave - not wanting to miss a moment. We would all greet her and she would always want us to kiss away the tear on her cheek. In addition to her athletic prowess, she was a competitive Duplicate Bridge player, having attained her Life Master status with the ACBL by travelling far and wide to Bridge Tournaments in North America. For many years she operated a duplicate Thursday afternoon bridge game at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and a game at Glendale Golf Club. She is survived by her sister Eva Dolgin, sister-in-law Ida Blankstein, brother and sister-in-law Fred and Pearl Blankstein (Whittier, CA) and brother and sister-in-law Morley and Marjorie Blankstein. She was predeceased by her sister Vera, brother-in-law Joe Dolgin, brother Wolfe and brother and sister-in-law Cecil and Claire. In addition to her 64 nieces and nephews, she will be missed by her many Blankstein and Golden cousins and her friends. We wish to thank the medical staff at St. Boniface Hospital and Cecil Abbo, Gertrude Abbo and Fabie Patriarca, her caring and loving companions who cared for her these last 5 weeks. Her funeral was held at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue on Tuesday May 15, with burial at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, with Rabbis Green and Berkal officiating. Her nephews Danny Hamburg, Marc Dolgin, Arthur Blankstein, Daniel Blankstein, Leo Blankstein and Max Blankstein acted as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Murray Blankstein, Ben Dolgin and Barry McArton. Shiva is being observed at 95 Waterloo St. through to Friday morning. Donations in Evelyns memory may be made to the Rady Centre or the charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 17, 2001