CNN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2005-02-05 published
RYALL,
John
David, C.A.
Born September 16, 1937 in Montreal. Died February 3, 2005, North
York, after a four month illness. Retired Partner Grant Thornton
LLP
Longstanding active and contributing member of the Kiwanis Clubs
of Toronto and Montreal.
Only child of Edgar John (Jack) and Gertrude Irene (née
LOVETT)
who predeceased him by some years.
John was educated in Montreal and practiced there as a C.A. for
two decades before moving to Toronto in 1983. He was noted for
his technical expertise in assurance and a passion for working
with companies in the mines and minerals sector. He loved mentoring
junior members of the accounting profession and cultivating their
skills. In retirement he found a new professional niche in chairing
an audit committee for a public company and remained engrossed
in this work throughout his illness.
He gave back to the community as a Kiwanian, as Treasurer of
the Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club and as Treasurer of his
Condo Board where he is remembered for his gruffly delivered
wit, Friendship and sense of humour.
Leaves to mourn, his partner in life, Andrea
DEMCHUK and her
son Severn
MOZER who wish they'd had much more time with John.
He was a quick study as step-father, knowing how to make life
fun while providing much-appreciated guidance. For years to come,
episodes of Star Trek and
JAG will bring tears to our eyes, as
will CNN,
British
Broadcasting
Corporation world, takeout pizza
and trips to Radio Shack, Canadian Tire and Costco. Nobody could
talk things through like John. He brought meaning to life.
First cousin Marilyn
YOUNG and her grown daughter (and John's
much beloved Goddaughter) Lindsey
YOUNG of Leaside.
Former wife
Janice
Morrison
RIEHL of Houston, Texas and her husband
Bernard. And too numerous to list here, all of John's wonderful
Friends from his business and community work who took the time
to call, or drop by the hospital or the local Keg. Andrea is
especially grateful to all of you and to her Friends and family.
And John wanted all of the health professionals who provided
care these past months to know how very highly he valued their
work.
Memorial service will be held at Murray E. Newbigging Funeral
Home, 733 Mt. Pleasant Rd. (south of Eglinton) at 2 p.m. on Saturday,
February 12, 2005 Captain Geoff Ryan officiating.
If desired, donations to Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Clubs,
101 Spruce Street, Toronto M5A 2J3, 416-925-2243 ext. 22.
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CNN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2005-03-22 published
Mindel SHUPAK
By Eli SHUPAK,
Tuesday,
March 22, 2005, Page A22
Mother, grandmother, partisan, Zionist. Born May 16, 1910, in
Sosnowiec, Poland. Died January 12, in Toronto, of pneumonia,
aged 94.
A Holocaust survivor with only a Grade 3 education, Mindel
SHUPAK
was an incredibly smart woman. She came to Canada in 1953, penniless
and hopeful of a bright future. Hard work bestowed one upon her.
Mindel was the fourth of nine children of Mordechai and Hannah
TORBINER.
Her life in Poland was a happy one, surrounded by the
family she loved. As a young woman, her remarkable abilities
were recognized and she was trusted to run the family business,
which she did successfully.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the life she had known
was destroyed. Her father and two of her brothers were cold-bloodedly
murdered before her eyes by the Nazis and much of her family
perished in concentration camps. Mindel did not give up and her
street-smarts helped her escape to the forests in Poland, with
her brother Usher, sister Devorah, nephew Sol, and her niece
Esther. To her everlasting sadness, only she and Sol survived,
but two of her siblings survived the war in Russia and they were
all later reunited.
Overwhelmed emotionally by the war, Mindel was determined to
reclaim her life. She married Leon
SHUPAK in late 1945. Together,
they would spend five years in Poland, before moving to Israel
where they lived in an immigration camp, existing in a concrete
shack, without heat or running water, for three years and just
barely getting by. They ultimately decided to move to Canada
after being sponsored by the
HENDELES family. While her husband,
Leon, was earning 75 cents an hour working at three different
jobs, Mindel cared for their children, Michael and Rachel. She
started a business from home and for a time worked as the outside
salesperson for a dry goods store in Toronto's Kensington Market.
Her primary goal was to ensure that her children were cared for
and well-educated: both became doctors.
With life on the upswing, Mindel was now in a position to give
to the community and that's exactly what she did. She was proud
of her charitable work in Canada and
in Israel. In memory of
Leon, she purchased an ambulance for Magen David Adom in Israel.
As well, she worked tirelessly raising money for Hadassah Hospital,
selling chocolates from her home until her death. Her many Friends
would spend enjoyable hours visiting with her as they purchased
chocolates for the holidays. She supported Boys Town Jerusalem,
one of Israel's most respected educational institutions, where
over 75 per cent of the students come from economically disadvantaged
backgrounds and require substantial scholarship assistance.
Mindel kept abreast of world affairs by watching
CNN morning,
noon, and night. She loved a good argument, holding strong, passionate
views on almost any topic one could engage in. While proud of
her own two children, Mindel was immensely fond of her seven
grandchildren. She was independent and while sick at home with
pneumonia in the final days of her life, somehow found the strength
to cook a large pot of pea soup.
Mindel could not understand the need for a birthday party that
my sister Debbie decided to host for her last year. She said
it was an unnecessary fuss and she never wanted to be a burden
to anyone. She did reluctantly attend that day, and while loath
to ever admit it, we believe she had a most enjoyable time.
Her final wishes were to see her first great-grandchild, due
this month, and to be at my sister Naomi's wedding this July.
She won't be there physically, but her formidable spirit will
always remain with us. My Bubie was small in stature at 4-foot-10,
but in the lives of those who knew her and loved her, she was
a giant.
Eli is Mindel's oldest grandchild.
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