LYONEL G. ISRAELS

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LYONEL G. ISRAELS CM, MD, FRCP(C), DSc (honorary) University of Manitoba On Friday, September 26, 2003, at home, Lyonel Israels loving husband of Esther, his wife and scientific partner of 53 years; loving father and father-in-law of Sara Israels and Daniel Blankstein; proud grandfather of Anna Blankstein; dear brother of Sylvia Markel and loving uncle of many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son Jared and his brothers, Monte, Max and Sydney. Dr. Israels was born in Regina in 1926 and graduated form the University of Manitoba Medical College in 1949. Following post-graduate studies in the United States, Switzerland and the UK, he returned to Winnipeg, the city with a long personal history for him - his grandfather had arrived in Winnipeg in 1882. In 1953 he established the Medical Hematology/Oncology Program at the Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation (now CancerCare Manitoba) and the Faculty of Medicine. Over the next 50 years he actively engaged in patient care, teaching and research - activities he embraced with enthusiasm and rigor. He played a leading role in the establishment of the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology and the Manitoba Health Research Council, accomplishments that were recognized by the University of Manitoba with the Peter D. Curry Chancellors Award in 2003. His other honors include the Order of Canada, appointment as Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba, Captain of the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt, and the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Foundation International Award. A Chair has been named in Dr. Israels honor in the Department of Hematology at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. Pallbearers, Daniel Blankstein, Leonard Blankstein, Jonathon Kroft, David Kroft, Morley Hoffman and Jeff Morry. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lyonel G. Israels Memorial Fund, CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, 675 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 29, 2003