SALLY (SARAH) LYONS ROTHBERG

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SALLY (SARAH) LYONS ROTHBERG Wife of the late Charles Rothberg, passed away after a short illness at St. Boniface Hospital on December 31, 2002, 12 days short of her 91st birthday. In many ways she represents the passing of an era. The beautiful daughter of a rancher, later turned storekeeper, and still later, an orange grower in Israel. Sally was born in Rosthern and raised in Prince Albert and Tisdale, SK. Graduated with an RN in nursing from the Winnipeg General Hospital in 1933, she wed the great love of her life, Charles to whom she was married 68 years. Starting their married life in the north country where Charles owned and operated a fur trading post, Sally ministered to the health care needs of the whole region. She later lived in Tisdale and Melfort, SK where Charles was a highly successful retailer. Here she raised her family, indulged her passion for golf and became a much beloved, admired and respected community leader. She was a lifelong supporter of Israel. Her parents and four of her siblings, in fact, moved there in the early 1930s to help build the country. She was a lifelong supporter of Israel and was one of the first to make the arduous trip to the new state in 1949. On her return she lectured on her travel experiences for many months throughout western Canada. Returning to Winnipeg with Charles in 1965, she doted on family and friends from many places and walks of life. She continued to play bridge with the same group of ladies until a few days before her death. Sally is survived by two sisters in Israel, Rebecca Bergman and Hilda Ben-Dan; three sons and their wives, David and Elinor of Phoenix, Robert and Joan of Summit, NJ and Richard and Joanne of Winnipeg; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was inordinately proud of all of them. Sally Rothberg was a great lady and worthy of the love and affection and respect that trailed in her wake. The funeral was held at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue on Thursday, January 2. If desired, donations can be made in her memory to the Sally and Charles Rothberg Fund of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba or the Sharon Home or to another charity of the donors choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 09, 2003