BEVERLY (HURTIG) SCHLECHTER

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BEVERLY (HURTIG) SCHLECHTER

Beverly Nan Schlechter (née Beverly Gershman; formerly Beverly Hurtig) passed away peacefully following a brief illness, on January 23, 2025, at the age of 86, in Thousand Oaks, California. Beverly was a published author, a gifted writer, and a prolific artist.

She was born on July 20, 1938, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to "Happy" Harry and Fanny (Palay) Gershman. Bevie also had two siblings: Diana (Shnider), now of Victoria, British Columbia, and brother Hal, currently of Grand Forks.

Beverly moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in her late teens, where she studied art, painted enthusiastically, and worked at CKY Radio in the music programming department. She loved Winnipeg's vibrant arts and social scene, and soon met Jack Z. Hurtig, a furrier and former aeronautical engineer and Israeli Air Force Officer. Beverly and Jack married in 1958 and had two children, Brent and Marla, prior to their divorce in the 1970s.

In 1978, Beverly met and married Marc Schlechter, a businessman from Luxembourg, with whom she would enjoy 41 years of happiness until his passing in 2019. They first resided for several years in Sonning-on-Thames, England. Marc's work relocations later took them to Philadelphia and Thousand Oaks, California.

In each place she lived, Beverly made deep and lasting friendships. In 2013, Beverly published an autobiography, "A Life Exposed," which described her adventures, challenges, and outlooks. Her stories reflected how she lived life full-throttle - vibrant, engaged, curious, progressively political, and sage to the end.

In addition to many family-like friends, Beverly is survived by daughter Marla Tobin (Neil Schwartz); son Brent Hurtig (Andrea Albi); daughter Susan Rossman (Eric); grandsons Zachary Gottlieb (Julia Drizin), Max Hurtig and Liam Hurtig; brother Hal Gershman (Kathy); sister Diana Shnider; niece Leonora Pitts (Scott, and their children, Willa and Murphy); niece Sharlene Forest (Paul, and their children, Shauna and Evan); uncle Morley Rosenfield (Verne); and other family across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Beverly was laid to rest on February 1, 2025, at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California, next to her husband Marc. A Celebration of Life service will be held in Thousand Oaks, California, on April 26 (please contact bhurtig@gmail.com).

In lieu of flowers, Beverly requested that those who may wish to make a donation please consider organizations dedicated to the care of animals, such as the Humane Society, SPCA, animal rescue, or shelter.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 15, 2025